Iran's leader downplays prospects for Iran-US talks after Washington sends 2nd aircraft carrier to Middle East

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Tuesday downplayed the prospects for a breakthrough in talks with the Unite States over Iran's nuclear program and sanctions removal, after the United States deployed its second aircraft carrier strike group to Middle East waters.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on Monday that the Italian government had agreed to host the talks between Iran and the United States in Rome this coming Saturday, while neither Iran nor the United States has confirmed the venue of the second round of negotiations.

Talking about the first round of indirect Iran-U.S. talks held in Muscat, Oman, on April 12, Khamenei told senior government officials at a meeting in Tehran on Tuesday that "We should not be extremely optimistic or extremely pessimistic about these talks."

He added that the negotiations may or may not yield results.

He stressed, "We are, of course, very distrustful of the other side. However, we are optimistic about our capabilities."

The Iranian leader also cautioned against "tying the country's affairs to the talks," emphasizing that activities in industrial, economic, construction, and cultural sectors, as well as the implementation of major projects, should proceed uninterrupted, as they are unrelated to the talks in Oman.

According to U.S. media reports on Tuesday, the second aircraft carrier strike group deployed by the U.S. military in the Middle East had arrived in waters near Yemen, ahead of the second round of negotiations in the Omani capital.

Satellite images show that the U.S. aircraft carrier Carl Vinson is currently positioned near Socotra Island off the coast of Yemen in the Gulf of Aden, according to the U.S. media reports.

Accompanying it are a cruiser and two destroyers, thus forming a dual U.S. carrier strike group in the region.

The U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet, headquartered in Bahrain, declined to provide details about the mission of this carrier strike group.

The latest talks between Iran and the United States were proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump, who threatened Iran with bombing and secondary tariffs if Iran did not come to an agreement with the United States over its nuclear program.

Iran signed a nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, with six major countries -- Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia, and the United States -- in July 2015, accepting restrictions on its nuclear program in return for sanctions relief.

However, the United States withdrew from the deal in May 2018 and reinstated sanctions, prompting Iran to scale back some of its nuclear commitments. Efforts to revive the nuclear deal have not achieved substantial progress.

Iran's leader downplays prospects for Iran-US talks after Washington sends 2nd aircraft carrier to Middle East

Khamenei downplays prospects for Iran-US talks after Washington sends 2nd aircraft carrier to Middle East

Iranian leader warns against extreme optimism, pessimism about talks with US

The United States has long been the major external factor affecting Haiti's security, stability, and development, said Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, on Monday, who also condemned the U.S. for exacerbating Haiti's economic challenges by imposing sweeping tariffs.

Speaking at a UN Security Council meeting, Geng expressed China's deep concern over Haiti's worsening crisis and rampant gang violence, its near-collapse state, and the desperate situation of its population.

For over a century, the United States has blatantly deployed troops, installed puppet governments, and manipulated Haiti's constitution, entrenching itself in Haiti's political affairs, said Geng.

He noted that just a year ago, the United States orchestrated the current political transition arrangements in Haiti. However, following a shift in its own government, the United States has turned a blind eye to that very transition, leaving Haiti mired in internal conflict and turmoil.  

According to Geng, the United States has always been the main source of weapons for Haiti, allowing illegal weapons to flow into Haiti from Florida.

In October 2023, the United States spearheaded the formation of the Multinational Security Support Mission, pledging financial support. However, in the past year and more, its actual contributions have been relatively limited. At one point, the Untied States even attempted to convert the mission into a UN peacekeeping operation, citing a lack of funds, said Geng.

This is an apparent act to shift the burden onto the UN and its member states, treating them as little more than an ATM machine, Geng added.

Geng also highlighted the U.S. role in undermining Haiti's development.

While professing support for the Haitian people, the United States has significantly cut foreign aid and continued deporting Haitian immigrants on the pretext of national priorities when Haiti is in dire need of support, said the Chinese envoy. 　　 "What is even more shocking is that not long ago, while the United States defied world opinion by imposing sweeping tariffs on all trade partners, it also extended its so-called baseline tariff of 10 percent to Haiti, one of the world's least developed countries as defined by the UN. This act of unilateralism, protectionism, and economic bullying is not just aimed at the so-called competitors like China. It has also inflicted damage on a nation teetering on the edge of collapse, such as a fragile country like Haiti, where the people are in dire straits. This is not only cruel and absurd, but also profoundly heartbreaking," said Geng.  

Chinese envoy slams US for negative role in Haiti's crisis