Donald Trump has confirmed that a “massive armada” of American ships is on its way to Iran.
“We have an armada … heading in that direction, and maybe we won’t have to use it,” the President said aboard Air Force One on Thursday night.
The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier and multiple guided-missile destroyers will reach the Middle East within days, according to US officials speaking anonymously.
Additional air-defence systems are also being considered for the region to protect American bases from potential Iranian attacks.
“We have a lot of ships going that direction, just in case… I’d rather not see anything happen, but we’re watching them very closely,” Mr Trump said.
He also said his warnings to Tehran prevented nearly 840 executions from taking place.
“I said: ‘If you hang those people, you’re going to be hit harder than you’ve ever been hit.
“It’ll make what we did to your Iran nuclear (programme) look like peanuts,'” Mr Trump said.
‘It’ll make what we did to your Iran nuclear (programme) look like peanuts,’ Mr Trump said
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GETTY
“At an hour before this horrible thing was going to take place, they cancelled it,” he said, calling it “a good sign.”
The President also issued fresh threats to Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
“If they try to do it again, they have to go to another area. We’ll hit them there too, just as easily,” he said on Thursday.
The ships began their journey from the Asia-Pacific last week amid escalating tensions following Iran’s vicious protest crackdown.
American forces have previously been deployed to the Middle East during periods of heightened conflict, typically for defensive purposes.
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The USS Abraham Lincoln is steaming towards the Middle East
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US NAVY
Last year saw a significant military buildup before the June strikes targeting Iranian nuclear facilities.
Tehran is required to inform the International Atomic Energy Agency about the status of sites hit by American forces and the nuclear material stored there.
This includes nearly 450kg of uranium enriched to 60 per cent purity – which could be enough for 10 nuclear weapons by IAEA standards.
The watchdog has not verified Iran’s highly enriched uranium stocks for at least seven months.
US-based rights organisation HRANA has verified 4,519 deaths linked to the protests in Iran
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REUTERSProtests in the Islamic Republic broke out on December 28 as small demonstrations in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar over economic difficulties before rapidly spreading across the country.
US-based rights organisation HRANA has verified 4,519 deaths linked to the unrest, including 4,251 protesters, with 9,049 additional fatalities still under review.
An Iranian official told Reuters the confirmed death toll until Sunday exceeded 5,000, with 500 security force members among the dead.
Asked how many protesters were killed, Trump said: “Nobody knows… I mean, it’s a lot, no matter what.”
