President Donald Trump on Wednesday revived the threat of military action against Iran, declaring on social media that a “massive armada” of American forces was moving toward the country and warning “time is running out” for Tehran to agree to a deal limiting its nuclear program.
In a lengthy post on Truth Social early Wednesday, Trump said the show of force was intended to pressure Iran back to negotiations. “Hopefully Iran will quickly ‘Come to the Table’ and negotiate a fair and equitable deal – NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS – one that is good for all parties,” he wrote.
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The President added that if Iran refused, the consequences would be severe, invoking last June’s U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities and warning that any future attack would be “far worse.”
“It is a larger fleet, headed by the great Aircraft Carrier Abraham Lincoln, than that sent to Venezuela. Like with Venezuela, it is, ready, willing, and able to rapidly fulfill its mission, with speed and violence, if necessary,” Trump said.
The comments came amid mounting tensions over Iran’s nuclear ambitions, a brutal crackdown on nationwide protests, and an increasingly visible American military buildup in the Middle East, even as the precise scope of the “armada” Trump described remains unclear.
Iran’s Mission to the United Nations warned on social media that Washington was repeating the mistakes of past Middle East wars, saying that while Tehran was open to dialogue based on “mutual respect and interests,” it would defend itself forcefully if attacked. “If pushed, it will respond like never before,” the mission said.
Iranian officials have also publicly rejected negotiations under threat. Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister, told state media Wednesday that there had been no recent contact with U.S. officials and no Iranian request to restart talks. “Negotiations don’t go along with threats,” he said, adding that talks could only resume if what he called “menaces and excessive demands” ended.
Trump’s remarks fit a familiar pattern. For weeks, he has suggested that he is prepared to use force against Iran, citing both its nuclear program and its violent suppression of protests that erupted late last year and spread nationwide. The demonstrations, sparked by economic distress and anger at Iran’s clerical rulers, were met with a sweeping crackdown that activists say has killed thousands. Two senior officials with Iran’s Ministry of Health recently told TIME that as many as 30,000 people could have been killed in the streets of Iran on Jan. 8 and 9 alone.
The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency has reported at least 6,221 deaths, with the vast majority having been protesters, while the United Nations’ special rapporteur on Iran has said the toll could be far higher. Iran’s government has officially put the death toll at just over 3,000, describing many of the dead as “terrorists.” Independent verification has been difficult amid a prolonged internet blackout inside Iran.
Trump has previously drawn two red lines that could trigger U.S. military action: the killing of peaceful demonstrators and the mass execution of detainees. On Wednesday, however, his focus appeared to be squarely on Iran’s nuclear program, which he has repeatedly accused of being aimed at developing weapons.
Last June, after indirect nuclear negotiations collapsed, the United States joined Israel in a 12-day war with Iran, bombing three of the country’s key nuclear facilities. Trump has since claimed that the strikes “obliterated” Iran’s program, though international experts say critical questions remain, including the whereabouts of Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium.
Iran insists that its nuclear activities are strictly civilian and that it has the right to enrich uranium. It has also warned that any new U.S. attack would prompt retaliation against American bases and interests across the region, raising fears of a wider conflict.
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, both close U.S. partners that host American forces, have said they will not allow their airspace to be used for attacks on Iran. Egypt and Qatar have moved to mediate, with senior officials holding calls with Iranian leaders and Trump’s Middle East envoy in an effort to ease tensions.
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