US positions aircraft carriers, strike platforms across Middle East as Iran talks shift to Oman

The U.S. subject has bolstered its beingness crossed the Middle East amid escalating tensions with Iran, arsenic atomic talks were thrown into uncertainty Wednesday earlier being moved to Oman.

U.S. and Iranian officials had been expected to conscionable Friday successful Istanbul, with respective Middle Eastern countries participating arsenic observers.

A elder U.S. authoritative confirmed to Fox News Digital that the talks, focused connected restarting negotiations implicit Iran’s atomic program, volition present instrumentality spot successful Oman.

"The statement to determination guardant with this happened lone aft respective Arab state leaders lobbied the Trump medication contiguous – making the lawsuit the U.S. should not locomotion away," the root said.

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Satellite imagery shows American subject assets astatine the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base Aoi Two successful Jordan arsenic diplomatic efforts continue. (Planet Labs PBC)

Satellite imagery from Plant Labs shows U.S. aircraft, naval vessels and logistical platforms positioned passim the portion astatine the extremity of January.

"The subject buildup is accordant with a unit preparing for a assortment of imaginable onslaught options," Philip Sheers, a probe subordinate with the Defense Program astatine the Center for a New American Security, told Fox News Digital.

Sheers cautioned that disposable movements unsocial bash not bespeak a onslaught is imminent, saying "positioning of platforms is not the lone precondition to preparedness for a strike."

"Additional attraction equipment, munitions and intelligence, among different elements, whitethorn inactive beryllium needed earlier a desired onslaught tin beryllium executed," helium said, adding that "operational details volition beryllium classified and are hard to discern based connected craft and vessel movements alone."

U.S. naval assets successful the portion see the craft bearer onslaught radical centered connected the USS Abraham Lincoln, operating successful the Arabian Sea, arsenic good arsenic destroyers deployed passim the eastbound Mediterranean and Red Sea region.

USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN AIRCRAFT CARRIER STRIKE GROUP MAKES MOVE AMID THREAT FROM IRAN

Military assets are deployed crossed the Middle East, including Ospreys Duqm Airport successful Oman, arsenic atomic negotiations are moved amid escalating tensions. (Planet Labs PBC)

The images of Duqm Airport successful Oman look to amusement a U.S. V-22 Osprey aircraft, which Sheers, who viewed the images, said could enactment "search-and-rescue missions to retrieve unit aft a mission."

Images from Muwaffaq Salti Airbase successful Azraq, Jordan, look to amusement C-130 aircraft, which Sheers said could beryllium utilized for "search and rescue astatine oversea oregon for different logistics operations."

"It's wide that determination are multirole combat craft stationed here, which would enactment crushed strikes and antiaircraft counterair operations," Sheers added portion stating that helicopters were besides visible, though their type, helium said, could not beryllium determined from the disposable imagery.

Sheers besides cited the beingness of Iran’s Shahid Bagheri drone carrier, saying its imaginable relation could beryllium to "harass, fatigue oregon distract U.S. aboveground ships successful the area" and unit U.S. forces to expend clip and munitions defending themselves.

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Satellite images amusement the Muwaffaq Salti Airbase successful Jordan and C-130 aircraft. (Planet Labs PBC)

Wednesday besides saw Secretary of State Marco Rubio accidental the U.S. would lone prosecute successful meaningful talks if they addressed Iran’s ballistic rocket program, enactment for militant groups crossed the Middle East and its attraction of its ain people, successful summation to its atomic activities.

"If the Iranians privation to meet, we're ready. They've expressed an involvement successful gathering and talking. If they changed their mind, we're good with that, too. We similar to conscionable and talk," Rubio told reporters astatine the inaugural Critical Minerals Ministerial gathering astatine the State Department.

As antecedently reported by Fox News Digital, U.S. Central Command warned Iran against what it called "escalatory behavior" successful planetary waters, vowing the United States would support its unit and assets.

On Tuesday, U.S. forces changeable down an Iranian drone that approached the Abraham Lincoln successful planetary waters, according to U.S. Central Command, underscoring rising tensions.

"What is wide is the United States is moving a assortment of intelligence, logistics, hunt and rescue, onslaught and aerial defence platforms into the region," Sheers added.

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"Those are wide signals to Iran of expanding U.S. onslaught capability, but the imaginable timing and targets of a imaginable onslaught are not wide and whitethorn not go clear," helium said.

Fox News' Gillian Turner contributed to this report.