President Donald Trump said the U.S. has an “armada” of warships heading toward the Middle East as he watches Iran’s response to mass protests and the fate of detained protesters facing possible execution. Trump told reporters the ships are moving “just in case,” while also saying he hopes they will not be needed.
The comments come amid conflicting claims about whether Iran has halted executions of protesters and how many people have been killed during the unrest. Iran’s top prosecutor rejected Trump’s assertion that Tehran paused mass executions under U.S. pressure, calling that claim “completely false,” according to Iranian state media as cited by Fox News.
Trump made the remarks about the naval deployment while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, CBS News reported. He said Iran’s decision not to hang protesters was a “good sign,” and added that the U.S. has “a lot of ships going that direction just in case,” along with: “we have an armada heading that direction and maybe we won’t have to use it.”
The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier and its escort ships were in the Indian Ocean as of Friday morning, according to defense officials cited by CBS News. CBS News said the carrier strike group brings about 5,000 sailors and Marines, along with squadrons of fighter jets, helicopters, and electronic attack aircraft.
CBS News reported that Trump first issued a warning on social media while the Lincoln was in the Pacific, saying the U.S. was “locked and loaded” to hit Iran if the regime killed anti-government protesters. CBS News also reported that Trump said he later toned down his threats after he heard “on good authority” that “the killing in Iran is stopping,” and that Iran’s alleged cancellation of executions “had a big impact” on his decision not to strike Iran that week.
Iran rejects execution claim
Iran’s prosecutor general, Mohammad Movahedi, denied Trump’s claim that Tehran halted mass executions and said Iran does not “take instructions from foreign powers,” Fox News reported, citing Iranian state media. Fox News reported that Movahedi said, “This claim is completely false, no such number exists, nor has the judiciary made any such decision.”
Fox News also reported that Iran’s mission to the United Nations declined to comment on the discrepancy between Trump’s account and Movahedi’s denial. Fox News said it contacted the U.S. State Department and had not received a response at the time of publication.
A White House official told Fox News that Trump “is watching the situation in Iran very seriously and all options are on the table if the regime executes protesters.” The same official said that, “As a result of President Trump’s warnings, Iranian protesters who were scheduled to be sentenced to death were not,” while also declining to say where Trump learned executions were being halted.
What Trump said about escalation
Fox News reported that Trump described warning Iranian envoys, saying: “I said, if you hang those people, you’re going to be hit harder than you’ve ever been hit.” Trump also told reporters, “We have an armada heading in that direction. And maybe we won’t have to use it,” Fox News reported.
CBS News reported that Trump’s comments about the flotilla indicate he has not ruled out action against Iran over its handling of the mass demonstrations, which CBS described as tied to worsening economic conditions. CBS News said the Lincoln carrier strike group could arrive in the Middle East within the next few days and would join two destroyers—the USS McFaul and USS Mitscher—and three littoral combat ships.
In a separate report, The Jerusalem Post said Trump told reporters on Friday that the U.S. “has a lot of ships heading towards Iran,” while adding that he hopes they will not be used. The Jerusalem Post reported that Trump, speaking before leaving the World Economic Forum in Davos, also said: “We have an armada heading their way, they know what we want.”
Conflicting death toll accounts
The scale of the unrest has been described differently across the reports. CBS News reported that the group Human Rights Activists in Iran, which it described as a U.S.-based non-governmental organization, estimates that more than 4,000 protesters have been killed so far and says the number is likely to rise.
Fox News reported that Iranian state television has acknowledged that more than 3,000 people have been killed during the unrest, while also saying activists and human rights groups believe the true toll is higher. Fox News described those differing figures as reflecting a broader struggle over information as international scrutiny increases.
Regional readiness statements in Israel report
The Jerusalem Post report also included statements from Israeli military officials about readiness and public guidance. It quoted IDF Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin as saying there was “no change in the Home Front Command’s instructions” and warning the public to “continue to listen only to authorized sources” and not cooperate with rumors.
The Jerusalem Post also reported that a security source told Israel’s N12 that no changes were expected in the Homefront command, and that if changes were made, the public would be informed with enough time to prepare. It further reported an Air Force commander saying the next operation in Iran would be carried out with “even more strength than the one performed during the 12-day war.”
