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New Delhi: US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that a "big force" is heading toward Iran, signalling a possible deployment of American troops in the Gulf amid heightened tensions in the region and growing fears of wider regional conflict. Trump renewed warnings to Tehran against killing protesters or restarting its nuclear programme, days after he downplayed the prospect of imminent military action.
"We have a big flotilla going in that direction, and we’ll see what happens. We have a big force going toward Iran. I’d rather not see anything happen, but we’re watching them very closely," he said while speaking to reporters.
"We have an armada ... heading in that direction, and maybe we won't have to use it," he said, confirming continuing military preparations.
US officials also said that an aircraft carrier strike group and other military assets are expected to be deployed in the Middle East in the coming days, according to news agency Reuters.
Trump's military intervention threats
Tensions between Iran and the United States escalated following a severe crackdown on protests across Iran in recent months.
Trump has repeatedly threatened Iran with military intervention over a deadly crackdown on protests going on in the country against the Islamic regime led by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The country has been on boil since late December with the protesters taking to the streets against the Khamenei regime over the dwindling economy and soaring cost of living. According to reports, thousands of protesters have been killed in the crackdown and many have been detained.
Execution halted
The US President recently said that, following mounting pressure from Washington, Iranian authorities cancelled plans to execute hundreds of protesters. He also pulled back from a threat to strike Iran over its deadly crackdown on anti-government protests. "I stopped 837 hangings on Thursday. They would have been dead. Everyone of them would have been hung," Trump said.
He also warned of military action if Iranian authorities go forward with their execution plan. "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 nuclear programme look like peanuts," Trump said.
US increases military build-up
Tensions in Iran are likely to escalate in the coming days as the US is considering a military build-up in the country. The Trump administration is planning to deploy additional air defence systems and warships including the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in Iran. Fighter aircraft and several guided-missile destroyers began moving from the Asia-Pacific region last week.
On Wednesday, Trump said he hoped there would be no further US military action but warned Washington would respond if Iran resumed its nuclear programme.
