White House declines to set deadline for U.S.-Iran talks

The White House on Wednesday declined to set a deadline for the U.S.-Iran nuclear talks, saying Iran is expected to present more details on its negotiating position within weeks.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said at a daily briefing that "diplomacy is always his (President Donald Trump's) first option," and there are "many reasons and arguments that one could make for a strike against Iran."

Leavitt declined to set a deadline for the talks between the two countries, saying that she is not going to "set deadlines on behalf of the president of the United States."

U.S. Vice President JD Vance said on Tuesday that the talks showed some positive signs but key U.S. red lines remain unmet.

A Trump adviser said the White House is moving closer to possible military actions, estimating a "90 percent chance" of strikes within weeks if talks fail, U.S. online outlet Axios reported Tuesday.

Any U.S. operation could involve a large-scale, weeks-long campaign, potentially conducted jointly with Israel, targeting Iran's nuclear and missile programs and posing a major threat to Iran's leadership, said the report, quoting sources familiar with the matter.

The USNI News, a news service of the Naval Institute, reported on Tuesday that the USS Gerald R. Ford and its escorts are crossing the Atlantic and heading for the Strait of Gibraltar, marking the second carrier strike group dispatched by the U.S. to the vicinity of Iran.

Earlier reports by U.S. media indicated that the Gerald R. Ford had been ordered to move from the Caribbean to the Middle East. Previously, the USS Abraham Lincoln arrived in the Middle East in early January and is now confirmed to be in the Arabian Sea off Oman.

Meanwhile, Israel is on heightened alert and assessing that a confrontation with Iran could begin "soon," state broadcaster Kan reported Wednesday, citing senior Israeli officials.

The report said Israel is maintaining a high level of readiness amid the possibility of a near-term U.S. strike on Iran, estimating that if launched, such an operation could develop into a weeks-long campaign.

Officials said Trump appears closer to launching a large-scale confrontation in the Middle East, and that Israel is preparing for a scenario in which fighting could break out "possibly within days."

Additionally, a pre-scheduled meeting of Israel's security cabinet was postponed from Thursday to Sunday, a government official said, amid heightened tensions between Iran and the United States and a U.S. military buildup in the region.

Iran and the United States concluded the second round of indirect nuclear talks in Geneva on Tuesday. The negotiations, held at Oman's embassy in the Swiss city, were mediated by Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi. The first round of indirect talks took place in the Omani capital of Muscat on Feb. 6.

White House declines to set deadline for U.S.-Iran talks

White House declines to set deadline for U.S.-Iran talks

More than 40,000 fireworks illuminated the night skies of the coastal mainland city of Xiamen in Fujian Province and Kinmen Island in the Taiwan region on Tuesday as the two neighbors staged a joint fireworks display to mark the Spring Festival.

The 30-minute show started at 20:00 on the first day of the Year of the Horse, with fireworks bursting from both Xiamen and Kinmen, which are less than two kilometers apart at their closest point.

Launched in 1987, the annual event has become a longstanding tradition highlighting close ties between Xiamen and Kinmen.

Crowds gathered along waterfronts on both sides to watch the show, accompanied by festive music. Kinmen residents also staged traditional lion dances to bring good fortune for the Chinese New Year.

"This is my third time to see the Xiamen-Kinmen joint fireworks display, where we enjoy the fireworks under the same sky over the same sea area. The mutual exchange and joint celebrations of Spring Festival filled us with warmth. We Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan Strait share the same culture, the same memory and a bond of blood and kinship. It's true that blood is thicker than water," said Chang Yang-yang, a young man in Kinmen.

New Year celebrations are also held between Fuzhou, provincial capital of Fujian, and neighboring Matsu Island, where residents display lanterns to showcase shared folk traditions. This year marks the 24th edition of such celebrations.

These celebrations come as cross-Strait travel continues to recover driven by the Chinese mainland's sustained efforts to promote tourism and facilitate travel for Taiwan residents. In 2025, cross-Strait visits exceeded 5 million, reaching a six-year high.

Fujian resumed group tours to Kinmen and Matsu in 2024. Earlier this month, the mainland announced that it would soon restart similar tours for residents of Shanghai.

Cross-Strait bonds shine at Spring Festival fireworks show