 "'Massive armada moving': Trump renews military attack warning to Tehran, says 'watching closely'")
US President Donald Trump said on Thursday (January 22) that a US naval “armada” was moving towards the Gulf to maintain pressure on Iran, while playing down the likelihood of immediate military action.
Meanwhile, US officials cited in a report said an aircraft carrier strike group and other military assets would arrive in the West Asia in the coming days.
“We’re watching Iran,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One as he returned from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Iran issues warning
Trump’s remarks prompted a sharp response from Tehran, with the commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warning that the force had its “finger on the trigger”, amid continuing unrest following mass anti-government protests.
Military preparations continue
Although Trump stepped back last week from a threat to strike Iran over its violent crackdown on protesters — after the White House said Tehran had halted planned executions — he confirmed that military preparations were ongoing.
US media reported that the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group had been redirected from exercises in the South China Sea to the Middle East.
“You know we have a lot of ships going that direction, just in case. We have a big force going toward Iran,” Trump said, adding that he would prefer to avoid conflict.
Open to talks, claims deterrence
Trump described the deployment as a “massive fleet” but said it might not need to be used. He also repeated his claim that his warning of military action had stopped 837 executions of protesters and said he remained open to talks with Iran.
Protests death toll
Iranian authorities on Wednesday released their first official death toll from the protests, saying 3,117 people had been killed. Rights groups have said the actual number could be significantly higher.
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