US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the United States has a "massive" armada headed toward Iran — but that “maybe we won’t have to use it” — as he remained coy about his intentions.
Speaking aboard Air Force One on his way back to the United States after addressing world leaders at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, Trump said, “We have a lot of ships going that direction. 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. We have an armada. We have a massive - massively heading in that direction. And maybe we won’t have to use it. We will see,” Trump said.
His statement came after the commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards warned Washington Thursday that the force had its "finger on the trigger" in the wake of mass protests.
Iran protests
A fortnight of protests starting in late December shook Iran's leadership under Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
According to AFP, the prospect of immediate American action against Tehran appears to have receded, with both sides insisting on giving diplomacy a chance.
On his way back from Davos, Trump told reporters on Air Force One the United States was sending a "massive fleet" toward Iran “just in case.”
"I'd rather not see anything happen but we're watching them very closely," he added.
In a standoff marked by seesawing rhetoric, Trump had on Tuesday warned Iran's leaders the United States would "wipe them off the face of this Earth" if there was any attack on his life in response to a strike targeting Khamenei.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, in a speech on Thursday, accused the US and Israel of stoking the protests as a "cowardly revenge... for the defeat in the 12-Day War".
Trump has repeatedly warned of new military action against Iran after Washington backed and joined Israel's 12-day war in June aimed at degrading Iranian nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.
Giving their first official toll from the recent protests, Iranian authorities on Wednesday said 3,117 people were killed.
The statement from Iran's foundation for martyrs and veterans sought to draw a distinction between "martyrs", members of security forces or innocent bystanders, and what it called US-backed "rioters".
Of its toll of 3,117, it said 2,427 people were "martyrs".
(With inputs from agencies)
