Trump says US still ‘watching Iran‘ as ‘massive’ fleet heads to Gulf region

US president says ‘big unit going towards Iran’, but helium would ‘rather not spot thing happen’ arsenic hostility with Tehran ratchets up.

United States President Donald Trump said a US naval “armada” was heading towards the Gulf region, with Iran being the focus, arsenic officials said an craft bearer onslaught radical and different assets would get successful the Middle East successful the coming days.

“We’re watching Iran,” Trump told reporters connected Air Force One connected Thursday arsenic helium flew backmost from the World Economic Forum successful Davos, Switzerland.

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“We person a large unit going towards Iran,” Trump said.

“I’d alternatively not spot thing happen, but we’re watching them precise closely,” helium said.

“And possibly we won’t person to usage it … we person a batch of ships going that direction, conscionable successful case, we person a large flotilla going successful that direction, and we’ll spot what happens,” helium added.

Trump’s announcement connected the US naval buildup comes aft helium appeared to back-pedal past week connected his threats of subject enactment against Iran after, helium said, receiving assurances that nary executions of protesters would beryllium carried retired by Tehran.

Trump’s confirmation of continuing subject preparations successful the portion follows aft US media reports successful the past week that the USS Abraham Lincoln craft bearer and its onslaught radical of vessels were ordered to divert from manoeuvres successful the South China Sea to the Middle East.

Speaking connected Thursday, Trump reiterated that his earlier threats to usage force against Tehran had stopped authorities successful Iran from executing much than 800 protesters, and helium again said helium was unfastened to talking with the country’s leadership.

Iranian officials person denied plans to execute radical who had taken portion successful the wide antigovernment protests that began successful precocious December and which Iranian authorities media said near 3,117 radical dead, including 2,427 civilians and members of the information forces.

Speaking to US broadcaster CNBC connected Wednesday, Trump said helium hoped determination would not beryllium further US subject enactment against Iran, but besides said the US would enactment if Tehran resumed its atomic programme.

“They can’t bash the ​nuclear,” Trump told CNBC successful an interrogation successful Davos.

“If they bash it, it’s going to hap again,” the president said, referring to US aerial ‌strikes connected Iran’s atomic facilities successful June 2025 erstwhile Washington joined Israel’s 12-day warfare connected the country.

Washington past ordered a large subject build-up successful the Middle East successful beforehand of ‍its attacks successful June, and officials aboriginal boasted astir however it had kept its volition to onslaught Tehran’s atomic programme a concealed astatine the time.

Writing successful the Wall Street Journal paper connected Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned the US that Tehran volition beryllium “firing backmost with everything we have” if attacked.

“Our almighty equipped forces person nary qualms astir firing backmost with everything we person if we travel nether renewed attack,” the curate wrote.

Araghchi said his informing was not a threat, “but a world I consciousness I request to convey explicitly, due to the fact that arsenic a diplomat and a veteran, I abhor war”.

“An all-out confrontation volition surely beryllium ferocious and resistance connected far, acold longer than the phantasy timelines that Israel and its proxies are trying to peddle to the White House,” helium said.

“It volition surely engulf the wider portion and person an interaction connected mean radical astir the globe,” helium added.