Iran and Oman received advance notice that US special envoy Steve Witkoff and US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner would be traveling to the USS Abraham Lincoln over Shabbos, according to reports.

CNN said Sunday that both Tehran and Muscat were informed beforehand, a step widely viewed as a deliberate signal that the United States retains the option of military action should Iran refuse to reach an agreement limiting its nuclear activities.

Channel 12 likewise reported that Iranian officials were alerted ahead of the visit, underscoring the message being conveyed alongside the diplomatic track.

Witkoff and Kushner, who headed the American delegation for talks with Iran in Oman on Friday, toured the aircraft carrier at the invitation of the commander of US Central Command, Adm. Brad Cooper.

Washington and Tehran returned to the negotiating table after earlier nuclear discussions were halted following Israel’s 12-day war with Iran in June 2025, a conflict that concluded with a US strike on multiple Iranian nuclear facilities.

Western governments believe Iran is pursuing the capability to build a nuclear weapon, a charge Tehran denies. Still, Iran has enriched uranium to levels with no civilian use, restricted access for international inspectors, and significantly expanded its ballistic missile program. Before the June fighting, Israel said Iran had recently taken concrete steps toward weaponization.

Despite the renewed talks, the possibility of conflict continues to loom. Trump described the discussions as “very good,” while Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian wrote on social media that they “constitute a step forward.” Iran, however, has consistently rejected Washington’s central demand that it halt uranium enrichment altogether.

After the first round of negotiations in Oman, Trump signed an executive order calling for the “imposition of tariffs” on countries that continue trading with Iran in defiance of US sanctions.

At the same time, the United States unveiled additional sanctions targeting a range of shipping companies and vessels as part of efforts to restrict Iran’s oil exports.

Amid the diplomatic activity, Tehran saw a stark warning displayed in public. A newly erected billboard overlooking Palestine Square threatened Tel Aviv with missile attacks, featuring a map of the city’s metropolitan area beneath Hebrew text reading, “Under raining missiles, it’s a small area!”

An English line beneath the image declared, “You start… We finish it!”

The billboard depicted the map placed on a table alongside a red button labeled “FIRE,” a walkie-talkie, and scale models of an aircraft and missiles.

Iran has previously displayed threatening imagery toward Israel in the same square, including a clock it claimed was counting down to Israel’s destruction.

During last June’s fighting, Iran launched more than 500 ballistic missiles and approximately 1,100 drones at Israel.

The renewed contacts between Washington and Tehran are taking place against the backdrop of a major US military buildup in the region, which followed Iran’s violent suppression of protests that erupted in late December over economic conditions.

Iranian authorities have said that 3,117 people were killed during the unrest, releasing on Sunday a list of 2,986 names they said consisted largely of security personnel and civilians.

International organizations and news outlets have estimated the death toll to be far higher, potentially reaching into the tens of thousands.

{Matzav.com}