Is US preparing for an attack on Iran? Trump says ‘armada’ heading towards Gulf

President Donald Trump has confirmed that a major US naval deployment mdash which he described as an ldquoarmadardquo mdash is moving towards the Gulf region as Washington steps up surveillance of Iran even while the White House has played down the likelihood of any immediate military strike and pointed to possible diplomatic engagement with Tehran news agency AFP reportedSpeaking to reporters aboard Air Force One while returning from the World Economic Forum WEF in Davos Trump said the United States US was sending a ldquomassive fleetrdquo towards the region as a precautionary measureldquoWersquore watching Iranrdquo Trump said adding ldquoIrsquod rather not see anything happen but wersquore watching them very closelyrdquoWhy is the US moving military assets closer to IranTrump has repeatedly kept military options open in recent months particularly following Washingtonrsquos backing of Israel during last yearrsquos 12day conflict which the US said was aimed at degrading Iranrsquos nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities Tehran denies seeking a nuclear weapon and insists its nuclear programme is peacefulAddressing the WEF on Wednesday Trump said the US had acted to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and claimed that Tehran now appeared open to talksldquoCanrsquot let that happenrdquo he said adding ldquoAnd Iran does want to talk and wersquoll talkrdquoDespite the naval deployment US officials have suggested that the prospect of an immediate strike has receded in recent days with both sides publicly signalling a preference for diplomacy over escalation AFP reportedIran issues warnings but keeps door ajar for talksIranrsquos military leadership responded with sharp warnings while stopping short of ruling out dialogueRevolutionary Guards Commander General Mohammad Pakpour warned the US and Israel against what he described as ldquomiscalculationsrdquo saying Iranian forces were ldquomore prepared than everrdquo and had their ldquofinger on the triggerrdquo AFP reportedldquoThe Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and dear Iran are ready to carry out the orders of the supreme commanderinchiefrdquo he said in remarks broadcast on state televisionGeneral Ali Abdollahi Aliabadi head of Iranrsquos joint command headquarters said that in the event of a US attack ldquoall US interests bases and centres of influencerdquo would become legitimate targetsIranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accused Washington and Israel of attempting to exploit recent unrest inside Iran as ldquocowardly revengerdquo for what he described as setbacks during last yearrsquos conflictIran protests Crackdown and disputed death tollThe rising tensions come against the backdrop of widespread protests that erupted in Iran in late December posing one of the most serious challenges to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khameneirsquos rule in recent years The protests have since subsided following a sweeping security crackdownIranian authorities have said 3117 people were killed during the unrest distinguishing between those they described as ldquomartyrsrdquo mdash including security personnel and bystanders mdash and what they labelled USbacked ldquoriotersrdquoRights groups however have disputed the official figures Iran Human Rights has said it has verified at least 3428 deaths while the Human Rights Activists News Agency HRANA has documented 4902 deaths and more than 26500 arrestsldquoAll the evidence gradually emerging from inside Iran shows that the real number of people killed in the protests is far higher than the official figurerdquo said Mahmood AmiryMoghaddam director of Iran Human RightsIndependent verification has been hampered by a nationwide internet shutdown that has now lasted more than two weeks according to monitoring group NetBlocksWhat happens nextWhile the movement of US naval forces has raised fears of escalation Trump has repeatedly stressed that Washington is seeking deterrence rather than warldquoIrsquod rather not see anything happenrdquo he said reiterating that the US remains prepared while continuing to monitor developments closelyThe standoff remains marked by fluctuating rhetoric unresolved nuclear concerns and Iranrsquos internal instability leaving the situation volatile mdash though with limited space still open for diplomacyWith AFP inputs