Washington [US], January 24: Yesterday (Vietnam time), President Donald Trump announced that the US fleet was en route to the Gulf, while the Iranian military asserted that it remained in a state of combat readiness.
The U.S. military is moving more military assets to the Middle East , including the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and its escort warships, which departed from the South China Sea, according to Reuters.
Trump says he is "monitoring" Iran.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, President Trump said the U.S. Navy was deploying a "powerful" fleet to the Gulf, and that Iran was the focus of the operation. "We are watching Iran," AFP quoted Trump as saying while returning to the U.S. from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
"Our military forces are moving toward Iran. I personally don't want to see anything happen, but we're watching them very closely," the White House occupant emphasized. The US President added that the country might not need to use those forces, but it remains to be seen what will happen.
Trump also reiterated the series of negotiations between Washington and Tehran regarding Tehran's nuclear program before Israel launched its 12-day war against Iran in June 2025. The US president threatened to take military action with an intensity far exceeding those attacks.
The US President's confirmation of continued military preparations in the region comes as US media outlets widely report that the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group has received orders to shift its operations from the South China Sea to the Middle East.
Reuters, citing unnamed U.S. officials, reported that the Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group is currently in the Indian Ocean and will head to the Middle East in the coming days. Another official said the U.S. is also considering deploying additional air defense systems in the region to bolster its ability to protect U.S. bases from potential Iranian attacks.
This move by the U.S. Navy expands the options available to President Trump. Specifically, the commander-in-chief will have more choices in bolstering the defensive capabilities of U.S. forces throughout the region, while also being prepared to conduct any future military action.
Iran's reaction
Trump's announcement came after he appeared to backtrack on threats of military action against Iran, following his claim that Tehran had committed to refraining from further executions of protesters. On January 22, President Trump once again left open the possibility of dialogue with Iranian leaders.
Meanwhile, Iranian officials have denied reports that the country plans to carry out mass executions of those participating in widespread anti-government protests. Beginning in late December 2025, the wave of protests has claimed 3,117 lives, including 2,427 civilians and members of the security forces, according to AP, citing Iranian media.
Prior to the US President's statement, General Mohammad Pakpour of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned the US and Israel to avoid any miscalculations, according to the Times of Israel . General Pakpour affirmed that his forces are in a state of combat readiness and are under orders from Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Writing for The Wall Street Journal earlier this week, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned the U.S. that Tehran would "respond with everything we have" if attacked. Araghchi stressed that this was not a threat, but a reality that needed to be stated clearly. "A full-scale confrontation would certainly be much more intense and prolonged than the timelines that Israel and its proxy forces are trying to convince the White House of," the Iranian Foreign Minister warned.
In a statement, the UK Ministry of Defence said that Squadron 12, comprising British and Qatari Eurofighter Typhoon fighters, had been "deployed to the Persian Gulf for defensive purposes amid rising tensions in the region."
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
