Trump Says US Monitoring Major Force Heading Toward Iran

Trump last week withdrew his threat to attack Iran, citing the White House’s claim that Tehran had stopped executing demonstrators after its violent suppression of protests.

President Donald Trump said Thursday that a US naval “armada” was heading to the Gulf to maintain pressure on Iran, even as he downplayed the likelihood of imminent military action.

Last week, Trump backed away from a threat to strike Iran over its deadly crackdown on anti-government protests after the White House said Tehran had halted its plan to kill protesters.

But the Republican president confirmed Thursday that military preparations were continuing. Last week, US media reported that the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group had been ordered to move from exercises in the South China Sea to the Middle East.

“We’re watching Iran,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One as he returned from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

“You know we have a lot of ships going over there, just in case… We have a very large force heading toward Iran,” the president said. “I don’t want anything to happen, but we’re watching them very closely.”

He described the force as “an armada” and a “large fleet,” but also said, “Hopefully we won’t have to use it.”

Trump reiterated that his threat of force against Tehran had prevented the execution of 837 protesters. He also confirmed that he was open to negotiations with Iran.

Iranian authorities on Wednesday released the first official death toll from the protests—which appear to have decreased in recent days—stating that 3,117 people had been killed.

Human rights groups say the true number of fatalities is likely much higher.

Trump has repeatedly kept open the option of new military action against Iran, as Washington supported and participated in Israel’s 12-day war in June, aimed at weakening the Islamic Republic’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs.