Dialogos

Trump Announces 'Massive' Armada Heading to Persian Gulf

Published January 23, 2026, 06:04
Trump Announces 'Massive' Armada Heading to Persian Gulf

Donald Trump announced the deployment of a 'massive' US naval force to the Persian Gulf, continuing pressure on Iran, although the prospect of immediate US military intervention appears to be receding for now. Speaking to reporters accompanying him on Air Force One during his return from the World Economic Forum in Davos, the US president said that 'a lot of ships' are heading to the Gulf 'in case we have to'. 'I'd prefer not to do anything, but we're watching the situation very closely,' he added, without providing further details on the composition of the forces, speaking generally about an 'armada' and a 'big force'. Recent weeks have seen Trump repeatedly threaten military strikes against Iran in response to the bloody crackdown on mass protests that have shaken the country. However, last week he appeared more conciliatory, stating that Tehran had halted planned executions of protesters, a development he said had temporarily eased tensions. Reports indicate that the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, previously stationed in the South China Sea, has been ordered to sail towards the Middle East, bolstering the US military presence in the region. This follows hardline rhetoric from Tehran, with the head of the Revolutionary Guard warning that Israel and the United States would face 'painful' consequences if they attacked the Islamic Republic, assuring that its forces are constantly 'with a finger on the trigger'. The situation remains volatile.