Kamal Ghorui
US President Donald Trump has said that another American “armada” is moving towards Iran, while expressing hope that Tehran would agree to a deal with Washington, adding to tensions already high in the Middle East.Speaking at a public event in Iowa, Trump said, “By the way, there’s another beautiful armada floating toward Iran right now. So we’ll see. I hope they make a deal. I hope they make a deal.” It was not immediately clear whether Trump was referring to the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group, which arrived in the region on Monday, or another set of US warships.His remarks come amid increased US military activity in the region. Trump had said earlier that the situation with Iran was “in flux”, noting that he had sent a “big armada” to the area while believing that Tehran genuinely wants to negotiate. He told Axios that diplomacy remained an option, saying, “They want to make a deal. I know so. They called on numerous occasions.”Iran, meanwhile, has issued sharp warnings in response to the US military build-up. An Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander said neighbouring countries would be considered hostile if their territory was used to launch an attack against Iran. “Neighbouring countries are our friends, but if their soil, sky, or waters are used against Iran, they will be considered hostile,” Mohammad Akbarzadeh, political deputy of the IRGC naval forces, was quoted as saying by the Fars news agency.According to news agency AFP, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has also warned that US “threats” would only destabilise the region, as Washington has not ruled out military action over Iran’s crackdown on protests. Saudi Arabia has said it will not allow its airspace or territory to be used for any attack on Iran, AFP reported.While Trump has publicly kept the door open for talks, US officials were quoted by Axios as saying that military options remain on the table, with additional naval, air and defence assets being moved into the region. Iranian officials, for their part, have repeatedly warned that any attack would be met with a strong response, underlining the fragile and volatile nature of the current standoff.
