WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has confirmed that a large American naval force is moving toward the Gulf region, keeping military pressure on Iran despite his recent efforts to downplay the likelihood of immediate armed conflict.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One while returning from the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday, Trump said the United States was closely monitoring Iran’s actions and maintaining a strong military posture “just in case”.
“We’re watching Iran very closely,” Trump said. “We have a lot of ships going that direction. We have a big force moving toward Iran.”
The president described the deployment as a “massive fleet” and an “armada”, though he stressed that he hoped military force would not be necessary. “Maybe we won’t have to use it,” he added.
Trump had last week stepped back from earlier threats to strike Iran following its violent crackdown on anti-government protests, after the White House said Tehran had halted planned executions of demonstrators. However, he reiterated that US military preparations were continuing.
Trump again claimed that his warning to Iran had helped stop hundreds of executions, saying his pressure prevented 837 protesters from being hanged. He also confirmed he remained open to diplomatic talks with Tehran.
Iranian authorities on Wednesday released their first official death toll from the unrest, saying 3,117 people were killed. Human rights organisations believe the true figure could be significantly higher.
US military assets heading to Middle East
Two US officials confirmed that an aircraft carrier strike group, along with additional naval and air assets, would arrive in the Middle East in the coming days. Warships, including the USS Abraham Lincoln, several destroyers and fighter aircraft, began moving from the Asia-Pacific region last week amid rising tensions.
One official said the Pentagon was also considering deploying additional air defence systems to the region. Analysts note that such deployments are often defensive, though the US carried out a major military buildup ahead of its June 2025 strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
‘They can’t do the nuclear’: Trump
While Trump’s rhetoric on Iran has softened in recent days as protests appear to have subsided, he warned that Washington would act if Tehran resumed its nuclear programme.
“They can’t do the nuclear,” Trump said in an interview with CNBC in Davos, referring to last year’s US strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites. “If they do it, it’s going to happen again.”
IAEA presses Iran on nuclear transparency
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has not verified Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium for more than seven months, despite guidelines requiring monthly inspections.
The UN nuclear watchdog has demanded Iran submit a detailed report on damage to sites hit by US strikes and account for nuclear material believed to have been stored there, including an estimated 440.9 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60% purity — close to weapons-grade levels.
Meanwhile, uncertainty remains over whether protests in Iran could reignite. The demonstrations began in late December over economic hardship and quickly spread nationwide before easing in recent days.