Trump Signals Pressure on Iran as US Armada Deploys

AFP

Washington: President Donald Trump said on Thursday that a large US naval force is moving towards the Gulf, signalling continued military pressure on Iran even as he downplayed the likelihood of immediate military action and left the door open to diplomacy.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One while returning from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Trump said the United States was closely monitoring Iran’s actions and maintaining a strong military posture “just in case”.

“We have a lot of ships going that direction,” Trump said. “We’re watching Iran very closely. I’d rather not see anything happen, but we’re prepared.”

The president described the deployment as a “massive fleet” and an “armada”, though he stressed that force may ultimately not be used. His comments underscored a strategy of deterrence rather than escalation, following a recent softening of his rhetoric after Tehran appeared to halt planned executions of protesters.

US officials confirmed that an aircraft carrier strike group led by the USS Abraham Lincoln, along with destroyers and fighter aircraft, is en route to the Middle East from the Asia-Pacific region. Additional air defence systems are also under consideration as Washington reinforces its regional presence amid lingering tensions.

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Officials noted that such deployments are often defensive in nature, though the scale of the current movement recalls the US military buildup last year ahead of strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities — an operation the Pentagon later said was deliberately concealed until the last moment.

Trump reiterated his claim that earlier threats of US intervention had prevented hundreds of executions of Iranian demonstrators, while also signalling openness to talks with Tehran.

Iranian authorities this week released their first official toll from months of unrest, saying more than 3,100 people were killed. Rights groups believe the true figure could be significantly higher.

While protests have subsided in recent days, uncertainty remains over whether unrest could flare again. The demonstrations began in late December with economic grievances in Tehran before rapidly spreading nationwide.

The president also sharpened his warning on Iran’s nuclear programme, saying any attempt by Tehran to revive enrichment efforts would trigger a renewed US response. Referring to US air strikes on Iranian nuclear sites in June 2025, Trump said Washington would not allow Iran to “do the nuclear”.

“They can’t do it again,” he said in an interview in Davos. “If they do, it’s going to happen again.”

Meanwhile, the International Atomic Energy Agency has stepped up pressure on Iran to restore cooperation, noting it has not verified Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium for at least seven months. 

The watchdog is seeking clarification on nuclear material believed to have been stored at sites hit by US strikes, including more than 440 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 percent purity — close to weapons-grade levels.

As diplomatic channels remain uncertain, analysts say the US deployment appears aimed at reinforcing deterrence while keeping pressure on Iran over both human rights and nuclear compliance, without committing Washington to immediate military action.