US positions aircraft carriers, strike platforms across Middle East as Iran talks shift to Oman
The U.S. military has bolstered its presence across the Middle East amid escalating tensions with Iran, as nuclear talks were thrown into uncertainty Wednesday before being moved to Oman.
U.S. and Iranian officials had been expected to meet Friday in Istanbul, with several Middle Eastern countries participating as observers.
A senior U.S. official confirmed to Fox News Digital that the talks, focused on restarting negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program, will now take place in Oman.
“The agreement to move forward with this happened only after several Arab country leaders lobbied the Trump administration today – making the case the U.S. should not walk away,” the source said.
US MILITARY WARNS IRAN IT WILL NOT TOLERATE ANY ‘UNSAFE’ ACTIONS AHEAD OF LIVE-FIRE DRILLS IN STRAIT OF HORMUZ
Satellite imagery from Plant Labs shows U.S. aircraft, naval vessels and logistical platforms positioned throughout the region at the end of January.
“The military buildup is consistent with a force preparing for a variety of potential strike options,” Philip Sheers, a research associate with the Defense Program at the Center for a New American Security, told Fox News Digital.
Sheers cautioned that visible movements alone do not indicate a strike is imminent, saying “positioning of platforms is not the only precondition to preparedness for a strike.”
“Additional maintenance equipment, munitions and intelligence, among other elements, may still be needed before a desired strike can be executed,” he said, adding that “operational details will be classified and are difficult to discern based on aircraft and ship movements alone.”
U.S. naval assets in the region include the aircraft carrier strike group centered on the USS Abraham Lincoln, operating in the Arabian Sea, as well as destroyers deployed throughout the eastern Mediterranean and Red Sea region.
USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN AIRCRAFT CARRIER STRIKE GROUP MAKES MOVE AMID THREAT FROM IRAN
The images of Duqm Airport in Oman appear to show a U.S. V-22 Osprey aircraft, which Sheers, who viewed the images, said could support “search-and-rescue missions to recover personnel after a mission.”
Images from Muwaffaq Salti Airbase in Azraq, Jordan, appear to show C-130 aircraft, which Sheers said could be used for “search and rescue at sea or for other logistics operations.”
“It’s clear that there are multirole combat aircraft stationed here, which would support ground strikes and defensive counterair operations,” Sheers added while stating that helicopters were also visible, though their type, he said, could not be determined from the available imagery.
Sheers also cited the presence of Iran’s Shahid Bagheri drone carrier, saying its potential role could be to “harass, fatigue or distract U.S. surface ships in the area” and force U.S. forces to expend time and munitions defending themselves.
IRAN RESPONDS TO TRUMP PRESSURE WITH WARNING OF RETALIATION: ‘FINGERS ON THE TRIGGER’
Wednesday also saw Secretary of State Marco Rubio say the U.S. would only engage in meaningful talks if they addressed Iran’s ballistic missile program, support for militant groups across the Middle East and its treatment of its own people, in addition to its nuclear activities.
“If the Iranians want to meet, we’re ready. They’ve expressed an interest in meeting and talking. If they changed their mind, we’re fine with that, too. We prefer to meet and talk,” Rubio told reporters at the inaugural Critical Minerals Ministerial meeting at the State Department.
As previously reported by Fox News Digital, U.S. Central Command warned Iran against what it called “escalatory behavior” in international waters, vowing the United States would protect its personnel and assets.
On Tuesday, U.S. forces shot down an Iranian drone that approached the Abraham Lincoln in international waters, according to U.S. Central Command, underscoring rising tensions.
“What is clear is the United States is moving a variety of intelligence, logistics, search and rescue, strike and air defense platforms into the region,” Sheers added.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
“Those are clear signals to Iran of increasing U.S. strike capability, but the potential timing and targets of a possible strike are not clear and may not become clear,” he said.
Trump says Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei should be ‘very worried’ amid tensions
President Donald Trump said Iran’s supreme leader should be “very worried” at the moment as tensions between the U.S. and the Islamic Republic continue to escalate.
“NBC Nightly News” anchor Tom Llamas spoke with Trump regarding concerns over the president’s credibility as he threatens Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the Iranian regime over its killing of thousands of protesters.
“I would say he should be very worried, yeah. He should be. As you know, they’re negotiating with us,” Trump said, when asked if Iran’s leader should be concerned.
TRUMP’S IRAN THREATS FACE ‘OBAMA RED LINE’ TEST AS WHITE HOUSE PIVOTS TO DIPLOMACY
“I know they are, but the protesters have said, where are the Americans? We promised them we would have their back. Do we still have their back?” Llamas asked.
“We’ve had their back. Look, that country’s a mess right now because of us. We went in, we wiped out their nuclear,” Trump responded.
He added, “If we didn’t take out that nuclear, we wouldn’t have peace in the Middle East, because the Arab countries could have never done that. They were very, very afraid of Iran. They’re not afraid of Iran anymore.”
TRUMP’S LEADERSHIP CREATES ‘RARE OPPORTUNITY’ FOR CHANGE IN IRAN, FORMER IRANIAN POLITICAL PRISONER SAYS
Trump elaborated on the U.S. position for Iran to end its nuclear enrichment program and threatened to send military strikes “right back” at the country if it chose to ignore warnings.
“They tried to go back to the site. They weren’t even able to get near it. It was total obliteration, but they were thinking about starting a new site in a different part of the country. We found out about it. You do that, we’re going to do things to you,” Trump said.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE
The rest of Trump’s interview will air over the next few days, with a separate segment of the interview expected to air before the Super Bowl on Sunday.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
US military in Syria carries out 5 strikes against ‘multiple ISIS targets’
U.S. Central Command announced Wednesday that it carried out five strikes against “multiple” Islamic State targets in recent days as part of a joint military effort to “ensure the enduring defeat of the terrorist network.”
CENTCOM said, from Jan. 27 to Feb. 2, its forces “located and destroyed an ISIS communication site, critical logistics node, and weapons storage facilities with 50 precision munitions delivered by fixed-wing, rotary-wing, and unmanned aircraft.”
“Striking these targets demonstrates our continued focus and resolve for preventing an ISIS resurgence in Syria,” Adm. Brad Cooper, the commander of CENTCOM, said in a statement.
“Operating in coordination with coalition and partner forces to ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS makes America, the region and the world safer.”
AFTER TRUMP DECLARED ISIS DEFEATED, US FACES NEW TEST AS DETAINEES MOVE AMID SYRIA POWER SHIFT
CENTCOM said it launched the Operation Hawkeye Strike mission in response to a Dec. 13, 2025, ISIS “ambush” attack against U.S. and Syrian forces in Palmyra, Syria. The attack left two U.S. service members and an American interpreter dead.
“After nearly two months of targeted operations, more than 50 ISIS terrorists have been killed or captured. CENTCOM forces killed Bilal Hasan al-Jasim during a deliberate strike in northwest Syria on Jan. 16. The terrorist leader was directly connected with the ISIS gunman responsible for the Dec. 13 attack,” the military agency said.
CHAOS IN SYRIA SPARKS FEARS OF ISIS PRISON BREAKS AS US RUSHES DETAINEES TO IRAQ
Cooper said in December at the launch of Operation Hawkeye Strike that the effort is “critical to preventing ISIS from inspiring terrorist plots and attacks against the U.S. homeland.”
“We will continue to relentlessly pursue terrorists who seek to harm Americans and our partners across the region,” he added.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
In December, before Operation Hawkeye Strike, CENTCOM said U.S. and partner forces in Syria “conducted more than 80 operations over the last six months to eliminate terrorists posing a direct threat to the United States and regional security.”
Rubio confirms Iran demanded venue change for nuclear talks
Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed on Wednesday that Iran requested to change locations for talks with its U.S. counterparts, following several reports on the matter.
“We thought we had an established forum that had been agreed to in Turkey. It was put together by a number of partners who wanted to attend and be a part of it,” Rubio said when taking questions from reporters on Wednesday.
“I saw conflicting reports yesterday from the Iranian side saying that they had not agreed to that. So, that’s still being worked through. At the end of the day, the United States is prepared to engage in, has always been prepared to engage with Iran.”
IRAN PUSHES FOR FRIDAY NUCLEAR TALKS IN OMAN AMID RISING TENSIONS WITH US FORCES: SOURCE
A source familiar with the discussions told Fox News on Tuesday that Iran had requested to hold nuclear talks with the U.S. in Oman on Friday. Additionally, Axios reported that Iranian officials were pressing to limit the talks to a bilateral U.S.-Iran format, excluding other Arab and regional countries — a move that could complicate U.S. diplomatic efforts in the region.
Rubio would not say what topics had been agreed on. Rather, he laid out matters that, in his view, would need to be discussed in order for the meeting to “actually lead to something meaningful.” The topics on Rubio’s list include the range of Iran’s ballistic missiles, its sponsorship of terror organizations, its nuclear program and the treatment of its people.
IRANIAN MEDIA CLAIMS DRONE SHOT DOWN BY US WAS CONDUCTING SURVEILLANCE IN A ‘ROUTINE AND LAWFUL MISSION’
The secretary also spoke about the anti-regime protests that have raged in Iran since late December. When the demonstrations began, President Donald Trump said the U.S. would act if protesters were met with violence. Rubio credited Trump’s tough talk with the cancellation of protesters’ executions, something that the regime has denied.
“The Iranian people and the Iranian regime are very unalike,” Rubio said. “The leadership of Iran at the clerical level does not reflect the people of Iran. I know of no other country where there’s a bigger difference between the people that lead the country and the people who live there.”
TRUMP SAYS IRAN ‘SERIOUSLY TALKING TO US’ AS MILITARY SHIPS HEAD TO MIDDLE EAST
Rubio said that the Islamic regime is unable to fix the economic problems plaguing its people because Iranian leaders are using the country’s money and resources to sponsor terrorism and proxy groups around the world.
On Tuesday, the U.S. military shot down an Iranian drone after it “aggressively approached a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier with unclear intent,” a U.S. Central Command spokesman told Fox News.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Iran later claimed that the drone was conducting surveillance as part of a “routine and lawful mission over international waters.”
Trump’s Iran threats face ‘Obama red line’ test as White House pivots to diplomacy
For weeks, President Donald Trump has promised the Iranian people that “help is on the way” while positioning a massive U.S. naval armada within striking distance of Iran’s coast. But as the White House pivots toward a diplomatic summit in Istanbul Friday, analysts warn the president may face a growing credibility test if threats are not followed by action.
By threatening “speed and fury” against a regime accused of killing thousands of protesters, Trump has drawn a red line — one that analysts say echoes President Barack Obama’s 2013 warning over Syria’s use of chemical weapons. Obama ultimately chose diplomacy over military strikes, a decision critics said weakened U.S. credibility and emboldened adversaries, while supporters argued it avoided a broader war and succeeded in removing large portions of Syria’s chemical arsenal. Trump now faces a similar debate as he weighs whether to enforce his own warnings against Iran.
Trump’s envoys are set to meet Friday in Istanbul with Iranian officials to press for an end to Iran’s nuclear enrichment program, curbs on ballistic missiles and a halt to support for proxy groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah — terms Tehran has shown little public sign of accepting. Trump has also demanded an end to the regime’s violent crackdown on protesters.
But signs of strain are already emerging around the talks.
Iran is now seeking a change in venue to Friday’s meeting — wanting it to be held in Oman, according to a source familiar with the request — raising questions about whether the summit will proceed as scheduled or produce substantive progress.
TRUMP CREDITS HALTED IRAN EXECUTIONS FOR HOLDING OFF MILITARY STRIKES
Tensions on the ground have continued to rise even as diplomacy is pursued. This week, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said American forces shot down an Iranian drone after it aggressively approached the USS Abraham Lincoln while the aircraft carrier was operating in international waters in the Arabian Sea. CENTCOM said the drone ignored de-escalatory measures before an F-35C fighter jet downed it in self-defense.
No U.S. personnel were injured.
Hours later, Iranian naval forces harassed a U.S.-flagged, U.S.-crewed commercial tanker transiting the Strait of Hormuz, according to CENTCOM. Iranian gunboats and a surveillance drone repeatedly threatened to board the vessel before the guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul intervened and escorted the tanker to safety.
CENTCOM warned that continued Iranian harassment in international waters increases the risk of miscalculation and regional destabilization.
Despite weeks of delay, foreign policy analysts say the pause does not mean military action has been taken off the table.
TRUMP SAYS IRAN ALREADY HAS US TERMS AS MILITARY STRIKE CLOCK TICKS
“If you just look at force movements and the president’s past statements of policy, you would have to bet on the likelihood that military action remains something that is coming,” Rich Goldberg, a former Trump National Security Council official now at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital.
“I don’t think the window is closed,” said Michael Makovsky, president of the Jewish Institute for National Security of America. “If the president doesn’t do something militarily, it would damage his credibility.”
The standoff is reviving comparisons to Obama’s 2013 decision not to carry out military strikes in Syria after warning that the use of chemical weapons would cross a U.S. “red line.” The moment became a touchstone in debates over American deterrence.
“They have challenged the president now to try to turn him into Obama in 2013 in Syria, rather than Donald Trump in 2025 in Iran,” Goldberg said.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Obama’s office for comment.
Trump has publicly encouraged Iranian protesters to continue their demonstrations, telling them in early January to “KEEP PROTESTING” and promising that “HELP IS ON ITS WAY.”
U.S. officials, however, have previously said the pause reflects caution rather than retreat, pointing to concerns about retaliation against American forces and uncertainty over who would lead Iran if the regime were significantly weakened. Trump himself raised those questions in January, publicly casting doubt on whether any opposition figure could realistically govern after decades in exile.
“As for the president, he remains committed to always pursuing diplomacy first,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday. “But in order for diplomacy to work, of course, it takes two to tango, you need a willing partner to engage.”
“The president has always a range of options on the table, and that includes the use of military force,” she added.
TRUMP SAYS GULF ALLIES KEPT IN DARK AS US NEGOTIATES WITH IRAN: ‘CANT’ TELL THEM THE PLAN’
Some analysts reject the premise that the administration has meaningfully slowed its military posture.
“I don’t think they’ve paused action,” said Gregg Roman, executive director of the Middle East Forum. “The more assets that the president deploys to the theater gives the U.S. more maneuvering room, rather than less.”
Roman pointed to continued U.S. force movements into the region, arguing the buildup signals preparation rather than restraint.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
“That’s not the behavior of a country backing away from military options,” he said.
Iranian media claims drone shot down by US was conducting surveillance in a ‘routine and lawful mission’
The Iranian drone shot down by the U.S. military over the Arabian Sea was conducting surveillance as part of a “routine and lawful mission over international waters,” Iranian media is claiming.
The Tasnim News Agency, which is affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), cited a source Wednesday as saying that the drone operated by the IRGC successfully transmitted reconnaissance photos to its command center before suffering a loss of communication.
The source added that the drone was carrying out a “routine and lawful mission over international waters,” engaging in surveillance and imaging duties.
The U.S. military had shot down the unmanned Iranian drone Tuesday after it “aggressively approached a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier with unclear intent,” a U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) spokesman previously told Fox News.
US MILITARY SHOOTS DOWN IRANIAN DRONE APPROACHING USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN IN THE ARABIAN SEA, OFFICIAL SAYS
“USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) was transiting the Arabian Sea approximately 500 miles from Iran’s southern coast when an Iranian Shahed-139 drone unnecessarily maneuvered toward the ship,” Capt. Tim Hawkins added.
“The Iranian drone continued to fly toward the ship despite de-escalatory measures taken by U.S. forces operating in international waters,” CENTCOM also said. “An F-35C fighter jet from Abraham Lincoln shot down the Iranian drone in self-defense and to protect the aircraft carrier and personnel on board.”
IRANIAN GUNBOATS UNSUCCESSFULLY ATTEMPT TO BOARD OIL TANKER AS TRUMP BUILDS MILITARY PRESENCE
Hawkins said no U.S. service members were injured and no U.S. equipment was damaged during the incident.
USS Abraham Lincoln is in the Middle East after President Donald Trump said last week that, “A massive Armada is heading to Iran.”
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Hawkins also told Fox News on Tuesday that, “During a separate incident hours later in the Strait of Hormuz, IRGC forces harassed a U.S.-flagged, U.S.-crewed merchant vessel lawfully transiting the international sea passage.”
Hamas terrorists use ambulances, schools, hospitals in violation of US-brokered ceasefire, IDF official says
FIRST ON FOX: Amid the recent start of phase two of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Hamas and the Jewish state, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claim that Hamas has violated the deal through its misuse of ambulances, hospitals and schools to regain control of the northern Gaza Strip.
The IDF provided Fox News Digital with exclusive video footage of what it alleges is Hamas operatives using an ambulance to transport terrorists and weapons from the “inner yard of the Yemen Al-Saeed Hospital” to various checkpoints in northern Gaza.
“You see an armed suspect going into the ambulance with a Kalashnikov. The ambulance is connecting the dots for us. We passed the information to the American headquarters of the footage of the militants,” an IDF official said of the video shared with Fox News Digital.
GAZA’S RAFAH BORDER CROSSING PARTIALLY REOPENS UNDER CEASEFIRE DEAL
The first phase of the agreement required that Hamas return all hostages held in Gaza. The second core part involves the disarming of Hamas, the U.S. and EU-designated terrorist movement.
An IDF spokesperson told Fox News Digital, “There are disturbing developments over the last few weeks. We see the return of Hamas to the front line, to the yellow line.”
The yellow line separates IDF-controlled territory in Gaza, which is estimated to be 53%, from the enclave area not under Israeli control.
“Hamas has returned to schools, hospitals and kindergartens and is turning them into military bases. A Hamas commander is in charge of each school in Jabalia in northern Gaza,” the IDF official claimed.
They continued, “We have seen Hamas with Kalashnikovs and, over the past few weeks, Hamas has been using ambulances. We have tracked over several weeks that Hamas uses ambulances to do checks in Jabalia. It is a big change. We see the confidence of Hamas using ambulances. It is a symbol for Hamas that it is gaining confidence and rebuilding itself, a sign of a potential raid on our bases in the future.”
The city of Jabalia was the scene of intense combat for the IDF during the over two-year war with Hamas. In May 2024, Fox News Digital reported the IDF secured the bodies of seven hostages from Jabalia. Hamas turned the “civilian area into a fortified combat compound,” the IDF said at the time about Jabalia.
When asked about the number of Hamas fighters in Jabalia in January 2026, the IDF official told Fox News Digital, “There are 3,000 Hamas operatives in Jabalia. 75,000 citizens have returned to Jabalia.”
HAMAS CONFIRMS FIVE LEADERS KILLED INCLUDING ‘MASKED SPOKESPERSON’ IN MAJOR BLOW TO TERROR GROUP
The official said, “In the Jabalia refugee camp there are still functioning tunnels. We are working on destroying tunnels inside of the yellow line and are at an advanced stage of clearing tunnels.”
Fox News Digital has reported extensively during the war on Hamas’ use of hospitals as military centers. The IDF operation against Kamal Adwan Hospital in Gaza resulted in the capture of roughly 100 suspected Hamas terrorists.
Shortly before the ceasefire came into effect in Oct. 2025, the IDF showed international reporters a Hamas terrorist tunnel adjacent to the Jordanian Field Hospital in Gaza City. The IDF said that Hamas terrorists were in the hospital and Jordanian medical personnel cooperated with Hamas. The state of Jordan denied the links to Hamas at its field hospital.
The IDF official said, “At the Yemen Al-Saeed Hospital, a Hamas commander with the rank of lieutenant colonel controls the hospital. We have notified the Americans. The freedom of action of IDF is limited. Hamas is violating the ceasefire. We have footage of Yemen Al-Saeed Hospital that we used to see before Oct. 7. Hamas places citizens in the hospital. The ambulance with Hamas goes through major crossroads.”
Hamas invaded parts of southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and murdered over 1,200 people and kidnapped more than 250 individuals.
IDF SAYS GAZA STRIKES HIT TERRORISTS, WEAPONS FACILITIES AFTER CEASEFIRE BREACH; HOSPITALS REPORT 30 KILLED
The IDF official, along with many U.S. and Israeli counter-terrorism officials, have placed large question marks over the possibility of disarming one of the world’s worst and most ideologically committed Islamist terrorist movements.
Hamas officials have stressed over the last week and since the ceasefire started that it will not disarm. The senior Hamas official, Moussa Abu Marzouk, told the Qatari government-controlled outlet Al-Jazeera last week that the Hamas agreement to abandon its weapons “never happened, not for a single moment did we talk about the surrender of weapons, or any formula about destroying, surrendering, or disarmament.”
The IDF official said, “There is a lot of belief in phase two and it will include disarming Hamas. I am very pessimistic in this matter. Hamas will not give away its weapons, and it will put on a show. Hamas might have civilians give away weapons. The game will be how good the show is.” The official added, “We have indications from the ground level that there is no process of full disarmament by Hamas. We have intelligence that Hamas operatives know that no full disarmament is planned.”
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
When asked about disarming Hamas, Brig. Gen. Yossi Kuperwasser (res.), a former head of research in the IDF’s Military Intelligence Directorate, told Fox News Digital, “Hamas is not willing to disarm but may be ready to give up some heavy weapons.”
Fox News Digital efforts to reach the Hamas spokesman were not successful.