U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said Monday that Washington and Jerusalem are “absolutely aligned” on Iran as nuclear talks between the United States and Tehran are set to resume Tuesday in Geneva.
Addressing leaders of Jewish groups from across the United States at the annual gathering of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations in Jerusalem, Huckabee said that he was in Washington last week for meetings President Donald Trump held with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and that “the United States and Israel are absolutely aligned on Iran. Iran cannot continue their nuclear and ballistic program. Iran is not Israel’s problem; it is the world’s problem.
“For 47 years, Iran has said death to America,” he said. “They preface that with death to Israel, but only because Israel is in the way.” He added that Iranian and Hezbollah-linked networks operate in parts of South America.
Huckabee said he did not know whether the upcoming round of talks would succeed in removing the threats posed by Iran’s nuclear program, ballistic missiles and support for regional proxy groups.
“Talks are taking place. But can anything come from the talks this week that will bring peace?” he said. “There is significant doubt as to whether the Iranian nuclear threat, ballistic program, and funding of terror will be removed. But if they were willing to do that, because they realize the consequences of not doing so, I’d be delighted.”
U.S. Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, a close Trump ally, also addressed the negotiations after meeting with Netanyahu and former prime minister Naftali Bennett in Tel Aviv. Graham said he is visiting the country “to reassure the Israeli people there is no light” between the U.S. and Israel on Iran, adding that “we’re in the weeks, not months, in terms of decision-making.”
Graham described Iran’s leadership as being at its weakest point since 1979, citing its struggling economy, weakened military and anti-government protests.
Earlier, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei was quoted by the IRNA state news agency as saying that “we can cautiously conclude that the American position on Iran’s nuclear issue has become more realistic.”
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with US Sen. Lindsey Graham in his office in Jerusalem
(Photo: GPO)
The U.S. delegation to the talks includes special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. It was not immediately clear whether U.S. Central Command chief Adm. Brad Cooper, who attended previous talks in Oman and drew criticism from Iranian officials, would participate.
Iran is represented by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and several diplomats from Tehran. Oman’s foreign minister, Badr Albusaidi, is mediating the talks.
In the previous round, Araghchi reportedly left the room before the U.S. delegation entered, though reports said the sides did shake hands. Iranian officials have not ruled out further handshakes in upcoming rounds.
Meanwhile, a small protest was held in Ilam province in western Iran, where demonstrators chanted “Death to Khamenei,” referring to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. On Tuesday, Iran will mark 40 days since the deaths of thousands of people in the regime's crackdown on street protests last month. Authorities are planning ceremonies across the country, with the Iranian armed forces describing them as memorials for “those killed in the American-Zionist rebellion.”
Iranian military drill — and footage of an aircraft carrier
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps conducted a military exercise Monday in the Strait of Hormuz amid the possibility of a U.S. strike if talks between the sides collapse.
Iranian state television said the naval drill, dubbed “Smart Control of the Strait of Hormuz,” was intended to prepare the Revolutionary Guards for “potential security and military threats.” The semiofficial Mehr news agency, which is affiliated with the regime, reported that the exercise focused on a “decisive and comprehensive response by the operational forces of the Revolutionary Guards to anti-security plots in the maritime arena.”
Iran has repeatedly threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway through which about 20% of the world’s oil supply passes.
State television said the first phase of the naval maneuvers included the use of strategic weapons on three islands in the Persian Gulf. According to the report, a drone used in the exercise “exists in very large numbers” and is at the disposal of the Revolutionary Guards’ navy. The name of the drone and further details were not disclosed, but it was said to be capable of striking aerial and maritime targets. Not all aspects of the exercise were broadcast, the report added, citing security considerations.
The commander of the Guards’ navy, Alireza Tangsiri, issued a warning message. “For the sake of these islands and these waters, we will stand against any enemy to the fullest extent,” he said. “We have full control over the Strait of Hormuz — on the surface, in the air and underwater. We maintain full intelligence oversight of the strait around the clock to ensure the security of navigation and transit in this strategic waterway.”
BBC reported that the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln was spotted by satellite about 240 kilometers (150 miles) off the coast of Oman. According to the report, the Lincoln had not been seen since January, when it was reported to have arrived in the region, but it had crossed open waters where satellite visibility is limited.
Late Thursday, The New York Times reported that the second U.S. aircraft carrier to be sent to the Middle East would be the USS Gerald R. Ford, along with its strike group. The Ford is arriving after its fighter jets took part in an operation to capture former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who was brought to the United States and is standing trial there.
With its arrival, it will mark the first time since March 2025 that two U.S. aircraft carriers are simultaneously operating in the region. At that time, the USS Harry S. Truman and the USS Carl Vinson were deployed during U.S. military strikes against Houthi forces in Yemen.