US President Donald Trump said on Thursday (January 22) that a US naval “armada” is heading toward the Gulf region. He said the move is meant to maintain pressure on Iran, while also stressing that the US is not rushing into war.

Trump made the remarks while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One as he returned from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

“We’re watching Iran,” Trump said.

Military assets to arrive soon

According to US officials quoted in a media report, an aircraft carrier strike group and other military resources are expected to reach West Asia in the coming days.

US media also reported that the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group has been diverted from planned exercises in the South China Sea and sent toward the Middle East.

This signals that Washington is increasing its military presence in the region.

Iran responds with strong warning

Trump’s comments drew a sharp reaction from Tehran.

The commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warned that Iranian forces had their “finger on the trigger”. The warning comes at a time when Iran is facing continued unrest following large-scale anti-government protests.

Trump says military planning is ongoing

Although Trump stepped back last week from a direct threat to strike Iran over its violent crackdown on protesters, he confirmed that military preparations are still underway.

At the time, the White House said Iran had stopped planned executions of protesters, which led Trump to ease his earlier warning. Still, the US president made it clear that readiness remains in place.

“You know we have a lot of ships going that direction, just in case. We have a big force going toward Iran,” Trump said. He added that he would prefer to avoid conflict.

Open to talks but stresses deterrence

Trump described the deployment as a “massive fleet”, but said it may never need to be used. He repeated his claim that his warning of military action had prevented 837 executions of protesters in Iran. At the same time, he said he remains open to talks with Tehran.

His comments suggest a strategy focused on deterrence rather than immediate confrontation.

Death toll from protests revealed

Meanwhile, Iranian authorities released their first official death toll linked to the recent protests. They said 3,117 people had been killed. However, human rights groups have argued that the real number could be much higher.

The protests have become one of the most serious challenges to Iran’s leadership in recent years.