US amphibious assault ship arrives in Gulf as Iran talks continue

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The USS Boxer, an amphibious assault ship carrying U.S. Marines, has reached the Eastern Mediterranean as negotiations between Washington and Tehran continue, Stars and Stripes reported. The vessel joined two aircraft carriers and more than 15 destroyers and other warships in what the outlet described as one of the largest U.S. naval deployments in the region in recent years. The report said the deployment is part of a broader reinforcement of the U.S. military presence in the area and is being carried out alongside diplomatic efforts. According to the publication, the operation reflects a strategy of running negotiations and military deterrence in parallel. Talks between the United States and Iran are continuing in Qatar, according to Stars and Stripes, with tensions persisting in the Strait of Hormuz. No further details on the negotiations were immediately available.