Multiple countries evacuate personnel, aircraft carriers arrive in Israel, is the US preparing to fight and negotiate? Trump says US and Iran will continue negotiations, warns "sometimes you have to fight."

Multiple countries evacuate personnel, aircraft carriers arrive in Israel, is the US preparing to fight and negotiate? Trump says US and Iran will continue negotiations, warns "sometimes you have to fight."

The third round of US-Iran nuclear talks held in Geneva this Thursday ended without results, sharply increasing the risk of war. US President Trump hinted the next day that military action against Iran was not ruled out, but also stated that negotiations between the US and Iran would continue, with no "final decision" made yet. Meanwhile, the largest US aircraft carrier has arrived in Israel, indicating that the US is advancing on both diplomatic and military fronts simultaneously, heightening vigilance in financial markets and the international community, with many countries advising their citizens to leave or avoid traveling to Iran.

According to CCTV News, Trump said on Friday (local time, 27th) that he hopes to reach an agreement with Iran and revealed that more US-Iran talks would continue that day. Trump stated he is "not satisfied" with the current situation, but emphasized the hope to resolve issues through negotiations. When asked whether military force would be used against Iran, he replied, "I don't want to do that, but sometimes you have to do it."

Also according to CCTV, Oman, the mediator of the US-Iran talks, had its Foreign Minister Badr meet US Vice President Vance in Washington on Friday, stating that the US-Iran talks have achieved "crucial, important, and unprecedented progress so far," and that "peace is within reach." However, this optimistic diplomatic signal hardly covers the rapidly rising military risks.

According to Xinhua News, the largest US aircraft carrier "Ford" arrived in Israeli waters on Friday, joining the already deployed "Lincoln" in the Persian Gulf, forming a "dual carrier strike group"; about 20 US military refueling planes arrived at Israel's Ben Gurion Airport the same day.

Also on Friday, the US Embassy in Israel announced that "due to security risks," the US State Department had approved the evacuation of non-essential staff and their families from the mission. US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee urged relevant personnel that if they need to leave Israel, they must "leave today." Other countries, including China, are either urging their citizens to evacuate or recalling diplomats from Iran, and international airlines are announcing suspension of related flights.

Trump: Dissatisfied with Iran Talks, No Final Decision Yet on Military Strike

The third round of indirect US-Iran negotiations took place Thursday, the 26th, in Geneva, Switzerland, but no agreement was reached. The previous two rounds were held on the 6th and 17th of this month in Muscat, Oman, and Geneva respectively. The US and Iran plan to continue technical discussions in Vienna, Austria, on March 2.

According to some media reports, Trump told reporters when leaving the White House on Friday that he "does not want" to use military force against Iran, "but sometimes you have to." He also stressed that no "final decision" on whether to launch a strike had been made, "we’re still talking, there will be more discussions later."

According to CCTV, Trump said he was "not satisfied" with Iran's performance in the nuclear talks. Trump stated the US plans to hold more talks with Iran regarding its nuclear program and will "see what happens." He said: "I'm unhappy that they are unwilling to give us what we must get. I’m not happy about it. We’ll see. We'll talk again later."

When pressed by reporters about whether US military action against Iran could lead to a protracted Middle East conflict, Trump responded: "I think you can say, there’s always risk. When war happens, any risk is possible, good or bad."

On the same day, Trump reiterated that "Iran cannot have nuclear weapons," and said Iran has never uttered the key phrase—a promise not to develop nuclear weapons.

Diplomatic Mediator Oman Says US-Iran Talks Have Made Unprecedented Progress

According to CCTV News, Omani Foreign Minister Badr met US Vice President Vance in Washington on Friday, reviewing progress and diplomatic efforts in the US-Iran indirect talks mediated by Oman.

Badr stated that the talks so far have achieved "crucial, important, and unprecedented progress," which may lay the groundwork for reaching a desired agreement. He also said on social media that he expects "further, decisive progress" in the coming days, and that "peace is within reach."

Iranian Foreign Minister Aragchi said after Thursday’s negotiations that both sides have reached understanding on some issues, but differences remain, with technical consultations to continue next week. He said, "What we need has been made clear," but did not disclose details. Iran has long insisted that, under the condition of limiting but not ending its nuclear program, the US must lift severe international sanctions.

Reports say a confidential UN nuclear watchdog report confirms that, since Israel launched a 12-day war against Iran and conducted large-scale bombing of relevant nuclear facilities last June, Iran has not allowed inspectors into sensitive nuclear facilities, making it impossible to verify whether Iran has stopped uranium enrichment activities or to determine its uranium stockpile size or whereabouts.

According to CCTV News, the International Atomic Energy Agency released a report on Friday saying that due to restricted inspections, they are unable to confirm the current state of Iran's uranium enrichment activities.

UN Secretary-General Guterres on Friday called for both US and Iran to "focus on diplomatic channels." UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric stated that the UN sees positive signals from diplomatic channels but also observes "extremely concerning military developments."

Largest US Aircraft Carrier Arrives in Israel, US Secretary of State to Visit Next Week

According to Xinhua News, the largest US aircraft carrier "Ford" set out from Crete, Greece, and arrived in Israeli waters on Friday, expected to dock at Haifa Port. Thus, the US military now has both "Ford" and "Lincoln" carriers deployed in the region, creating a "dual carrier strike group" in the Middle East for the first time in nearly a year.

According to CCTV News, about 20 US military refueling planes arrived at Israel's Ben Gurion Airport on Thursday night. As of Friday, nearly 20 refueling planes have been deployed in Israel. The deployment is widely seen as preparatory steps for possible air strikes against Iran.

Regarding reports that almost 90% of the approximately 650 toilets on the “Ford” carrier were malfunctioning, with sailors waiting over 45 minutes to use the restroom, the US Navy denied the allegations, stating that the systems were "operating within expected parameters," and any clogging problems had been "quickly resolved," not affecting combat readiness.

According to Xinhua, Saudi Arabia TV cited security sources saying that a large number of Americans have left Iraq via Baghdad International Airport in the past 24 hours.

Notably, reports say that US Central Command head and top US military commander in the Middle East, General Brad Cooper, had briefed Trump on military options against Iran on Thursday, with Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Dan Cain also attending.

According to CCTV News, the US State Department announced on Friday that Secretary of State Rubio will visit Israel March 2-3 for talks with Israeli leaders on regional security. Rubio will discuss issues including Iran, Lebanon, and advancing Trump's "20-point Gaza plan," but no more details were provided.

US media quoted analysts suggesting that Rubio’s visit may indicate there is still a time window before any potential military action.

Iranian Military Warns US Provocations Will Receive "Devastating" Retaliation; Iraq Calls for Negotiated Solutions

According to Xinhua News, Iranian Armed Forces General Staff spokesperson Shekarchi said on Friday (the 27th) that any US provocations will receive "resolute and devastating" retaliation from Iran's armed forces. He said Iranian forces are closely monitoring US and Israeli movements in the region, are "fully prepared," and described US presence as part of "psychological warfare, blackmail, and bullying."

Shekarchi also warned that "any reckless action will trigger large-scale conflict in the region and provoke unprecedented strong reactions," but emphasized "we are not warmongers, nor are we afraid of war."

According to CCTV News, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hussein spoke with Iranian Foreign Minister Aragchi by phone on the 27th, both stressing that resolving problems through negotiation is "the most appropriate way," urging avoidance of escalating tensions and war risk, and maintenance of regional security and stability. Hussein made clear that pending issues should continue to be resolved through dialogue and reaffirmed that dialogue is the best means for handling differences.

Multiple Countries Evacuate People and Suspend Flights, War Expectations Spread

Several governments are instituting evacuation or warning measures, causing concerns about armed conflict to rise sharply.

On the US side, according to Xinhua News, the State Department approved the evacuation of non-essential staff and families from the Israel mission on the 27th. US Ambassador Huckabee said in internal emails that relevant personnel should expedite their departure, "the priority is to quickly leave Israel," and then arrange subsequent travel plans.

Huckabee warned that the evacuation recommendations "may cause a dramatic increase in demand for same-day tickets," and "there may or may not be flights in the days to follow."

According to Xinhua News, the British government announced on the 27th that, for safety reasons, embassy staff in Iran have been temporarily withdrawn and the embassy is operating remotely; diplomatic staff and families in Israel have been moved from Tel Aviv to another location in the country.

Several countries have issued evacuation or travel warnings. According to CCTV News,

  • The Chinese Foreign Ministry and Chinese embassies in Iran advised Chinese nationals not to travel to Iran for now, and those already there should evacuate as soon as possible; the embassy will assist with transfers via commercial flights or land routes.
  • The Polish Foreign Ministry urged its nationals to immediately leave Iran, Israel, and Lebanon, warning that civilian airspace in those countries may close in a short time.
  • Kazakhstan advised its nationals to temporarily avoid traveling to Iran and urged those already there to leave as soon as possible.
  • Greece advised nationals to avoid travel to Israel, Palestine, and Iran except for absolute necessity.
  • According to Xinhua News, the Canadian government posted on social media: "Due to ongoing tensions in the region, hostile actions may occur with little or no warning. Leave Iran immediately if it’s safe and feasible to do so."

The aviation industry also responded noticeably. According to Xinhua News, Istanbul Airport in Turkey announced on the evening of the 27th the cancellation of multiple flights to Tehran and Tabriz. According to US media, Dutch airline KLM and others have announced suspension of flights to Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport.

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