Multiple countries withdraw personnel, aircraft carriers arrive in Israel, is the U.S. planning to negotiate while fighting? Trump says the U.S. and Iran will continue negotiations and warns "sometimes you have to fight"

This Thursday, the third round of US-Iran nuclear talks in Geneva ended without agreement, sharply increasing the risk of war. The next day, U.S. President Trump hinted that military action against Iran is not ruled out, while also stating that negotiations will continue and no “final decision” has been made. Meanwhile, the U.S. Navy’s largest aircraft carrier has arrived in Israel. It appears that the U.S. is advancing both diplomatic and military strategies simultaneously, causing heightened alertness in financial markets and the international community. Several countries have advised their citizens to leave or avoid traveling to Iran.

According to CCTV News, on Friday the 27th, local time, Trump said he hopes to reach an agreement with Iran and revealed that the US and Iran would continue negotiations that day. Trump stated he is “not satisfied” with the current situation but emphasizes his hope to resolve issues through diplomacy. When asked whether the U.S. would use military force against Iran, he said, “I don’t want to do that, but sometimes you have to.”

Additionally, according to CCTV, the mediator of the US-Iran negotiations—the Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi—met with U.S. Vice President Harris in Washington on Friday. He said that the negotiations have achieved “key, important, and unprecedented progress” and that “peace is within reach.” However, this diplomatic optimism cannot hide the rapidly rising military risks.

Xinhua News Agency reports that the U.S. Navy’s largest aircraft carrier, the Ford, arrived in Israeli waters on Friday the 27th, joining the already deployed Lincoln in the Persian Gulf to form a “dual aircraft carrier strike group.” About 20 U.S. refueling aircraft also arrived at Ben Gurion Airport in Israel on the same day.

On the same Friday, the U.S. Embassy in Israel announced that, “due to security risks,” the U.S. State Department has authorized the evacuation of non-emergency personnel and their families from the U.S. mission in Israel. Ambassador David Friedman urged personnel to “leave today” if they plan to depart. Several other countries, including China, have called on their citizens to evacuate or recall diplomatic staff from Iran. International airlines have announced suspensions of related flights.

Trump: Dissatisfied with Iran Negotiations, No Final Decision on Strike

The third indirect US-Iran talks took place in Geneva on Thursday the 26th but failed to produce any agreement. The previous two rounds were held on March 6 and 17 in Muscat, Oman, and Geneva, respectively. The U.S. and Iran plan to continue technical discussions in Vienna on March 2.

Some media reports indicate that Trump told reporters on Friday that he “does not want” to use military force against Iran, “but sometimes you have to.” He also emphasized that no “final decision” has been made on launching strikes, adding, “We are still talking, and we will have more talks later.”

According to CCTV, Trump expressed dissatisfaction with Iran’s performance in nuclear negotiations. He said the U.S. plans to hold more talks with Iran about its nuclear program and that they will “see what happens.” He stated, “I am unhappy that they are unwilling to give us what we need. I am not pleased. We will see. We will talk again later.”

When asked whether the possibility of military action could lead to a prolonged Middle East conflict, Trump responded, “I think you can say there is always a risk. When war happens, all kinds of risks are possible, good and bad.”

Trump reiterated the same day, “Iran cannot have nuclear weapons,” and said Iran has yet to say the key phrase—an explicit commitment not to develop nuclear weapons.

Omani Diplomat: US-Iran Negotiations Achieve Unprecedented Progress

According to CCTV News, Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi met with U.S. Vice President Harris in Washington on Friday, reviewing the progress of the US-Iran indirect negotiations under Omani mediation and related diplomatic efforts.

Badr stated that the negotiations have achieved “key, important, and unprecedented progress,” laying a foundation for reaching the expected agreement. He also expressed on social media that he looks forward to “further, decisive progress” in the coming days, claiming that “peace is within reach.”

After the negotiations concluded on Thursday, Iranian Foreign Minister Amir Abdollahian said that both sides reached understanding on some issues but still have disagreements, and will continue technical discussions next week. He said, “Our position has been clearly articulated,” but did not disclose specifics. Iran has long insisted that, under conditions of limited but not terminated nuclear activity, the U.S. should lift severe international sanctions.

A confidential report from the UN nuclear watchdog confirms that since Israel launched a 12-day war against Iran and carried out large-scale bombings of nuclear facilities last June, Iran has not allowed inspectors into sensitive nuclear sites, making it impossible to verify whether Iran has halted uranium enrichment or to determine the size and destination of its enriched uranium stockpiles.

According to CCTV News, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) released a report on Friday stating that due to limited access, it cannot confirm the current status of Iran’s uranium enrichment activities.

UN Secretary-General Guterres on Friday urged both Iran and the U.S. to “focus on diplomatic channels.” UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said that while positive diplomatic signals are observed, there are also “extremely concerning military movements.”

U.S. Aircraft Carrier Arrives in Israel; U.S. Secretary of State to Visit Next Week

Xinhua reports that the U.S. Navy’s largest aircraft carrier, the Ford, departed from Crete, Greece, on Friday the 27th, and arrived in Israeli waters, expected to dock at Haifa. This marks the re-deployment of two U.S. aircraft carriers—Ford and Lincoln—in the Middle East, forming a “dual carrier strike group” for the first time in nearly a year.

CCTV News reports that about 20 U.S. refueling aircraft arrived at Ben Gurion Airport in Israel on Thursday evening. By Friday, nearly 20 U.S. refueling aircraft had been deployed in Israel. This deployment is widely interpreted as preparatory for potential air strikes against Iran.

Regarding reports that nearly 90% of the Ford’s approximately 650 toilets are out of service, and sailors are queuing for over 45 minutes, the U.S. Navy denied these claims, stating that the systems are “operating within expected parameters” and that the clogging issues have been “quickly resolved,” with no impact on combat readiness.

Xinhua reports that Saudi Arabia’s Al Arabiya TV quoted security officials as saying that many U.S. citizens left Iraq via Baghdad International Airport in the past 24 hours.

Notably, U.S. Central Command Commander and top military leader in the Middle East, General Brad Cooper, reportedly briefed Trump on options for military action against Iran on Thursday. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Cain, also attended the briefing.

CCTV News reports that the U.S. State Department announced on Friday that Secretary of State Blinken will visit Israel from March 2 to 3 to discuss regional security issues with Israeli leaders. The trip will cover Iran, Lebanon, and the implementation of Trump’s “20-Point Plan” for Gaza, among other regional priorities, but details have not been disclosed.

Analysts suggest that Blinken’s visit may imply that any potential military action still has some time window.

Iran Warns U.S. Provocations Will Be Met with “Destructive” Response; Iraq Calls for Diplomatic Resolution

Xinhua reports that Iran’s Armed Forces General Staff spokesperson, Shekarchi, on Friday the 27th, warned that any U.S. provocations will be met with a “decisive and destructive” response. He said Iran is closely monitoring U.S. and Israeli movements in the region and is “fully prepared,” characterizing U.S. presence as part of “psychological warfare, extortion, and bullying.”

Shekarchi also warned that “reckless actions will trigger large-scale conflict in the region and provoke unprecedented strong responses,” but emphasized, “We are not warmongers, and we do not fear war.”

According to CCTV News, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari and Iranian Foreign Minister Amir Abdollahian spoke by phone on Friday, emphasizing that resolving issues through negotiations is “the most appropriate approach,” and calling for avoiding escalation and war risks to maintain regional security and stability. Zebari reaffirmed that dialogue remains the best way to resolve outstanding issues.

Multiple countries evacuate personnel and suspend flights amid escalating war fears

Several governments have taken evacuation or warning measures, sharply increasing concerns over armed conflict.

In the U.S., according to Xinhua, the State Department approved on the 27th the evacuation of non-emergency personnel and their families from the U.S. mission in Israel. Ambassador David Friedman advised staff via internal email to “leave as soon as possible,” emphasizing the importance of “rapidly departing Israel” before planning subsequent travel.

Friedman warned that the recommendation for non-essential personnel to leave “may lead to a significant increase in ticket demand on that day,” and that “flights may still be available in the coming days, or there may be none.”

Xinhua reports that the UK government announced on the 27th that, for security reasons, it has temporarily withdrawn embassy staff from Iran, with the embassy operating remotely; also, some diplomatic personnel and families have been relocated from Tel Aviv to another location within Israel.

Multiple countries have issued evacuation or travel warnings. According to CCTV News:

• China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Chinese embassies in Iran have advised Chinese citizens to avoid traveling to Iran; those already there should evacuate promptly, with the embassy assisting via commercial flights or land routes.
• Poland’s Foreign Ministry urged its citizens to immediately leave Iran, Israel, and Lebanon, warning that civilian airspace in these countries could be closed in the short term.
• Kazakhstan recommended its citizens avoid Iran temporarily and urged those there to leave as soon as possible.
• Greece advised its citizens to avoid Israel, Palestine, and Iran unless absolutely necessary.
• Canada’s government posted on social media: “Due to ongoing regional tensions, hostilities could occur with little or no warning. Leave Iran immediately if it is safe to do so.”

The aviation sector has also responded. Xinhua reports that Istanbul Airport in Turkey announced the cancellation of several flights to Tehran and Mashhad on the evening of the 27th. U.S. airlines such as KLM have also announced suspensions of flights to Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv.

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