Tehran has warned that it is ready to repel any American or Israeli aggression with its “finger on the trigger”.
The US War Department deployed a “the great army” warships and other military assets near Iran, US President Donald Trump said, insisting that diplomacy remains an option.
Earlier this month, Trump reportedly came close to ordering strikes on Iranian targets in response to a violent crackdown on anti-government protests that have left thousands dead, according to a number of rights groups. While he delayed that decision, military assets continued to flow into the region.
Trump said in an interview with Axios on Monday that the situation with Iran remains “in the flow.”
“Next to Iran, we have a big army. Bigger than Venezuela,” he said, referring to the US Navy buildup near the South American nation that led to the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
At the same time, Trump indicated that Tehran does want to negotiate a deal, claiming: “They’ve called on numerous occasions. They want to talk.”
Central to the build-up is the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group, which US Central Command (CENTCOM) has confirmed is now operating in the Middle East. Additional F-15 and F-35 fighters, refueling tankers and air defense systems were also deployed. CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper visited Israel on Saturday to discuss joint military plans.
In response, General Mohammad Pakpour of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) issued a stark warning over the weekend. He stated that the IRGC is “Readier than ever, finger on the trigger” defend the country and promised “painful” the consequences of any aggression by the US or Israel.
Tehran has warned against Washington “any miscalculations,” accusing the US and Israel of fomenting serious internal unrest in Iran. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchirecently reported that over 3,000 people had been killed during the violent protests that began in late December.
The Trump administration appears divided on how to move forward. Some officials reportedly advocated for the president’s enforcement “red line” to punish Tehran, while others question what strategic objective the bombing would achieve.
Washington has long pushed for a deal that would require Iran to get rid of all its enriched uranium, limit its missile stockpile, stop supporting regional proxies and give up independent uranium enrichment — terms Iran has shown no willingness to accept.
You can share this story on social media:
Leave a Reply