Washington DC [US], January 23, 2026, BNN Web Staff: US President Donald Trump on Thursday said Iran is being closely monitored, claiming a “massive fleet” is moving towards the Gulf region as tensions between Washington and Tehran remain high.
Speaking to reporters onboard Air Force One while returning from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Trump warned that any move by Iran to execute people could trigger a strong American response.
“I said, if you hang those people, you’re going to be hit harder than you’ve ever been hit,” Trump said, according to Fox News. He added that any retaliation would be far more severe than earlier US actions targeting Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.
Trump stated that the naval movement is meant as a precautionary show of strength. “We have a massive fleet heading in that direction and maybe we won’t have to use it, we’ll see,” he told reporters, adding that several ships are moving toward the region “just in case.”
In recent days, US media reports have suggested that the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier and its strike group were redirected from activities in the South China Sea toward West Asia, according to Al Jazeera. While the US military has not officially confirmed its final destination, ship-tracking data reportedly showed the carrier passing through the Strait of Malacca — a strategic route connecting the South China Sea to the Indian Ocean — placing it only days away from entering the West Asian region.
Trump, in an earlier interview with CNBC, said he hoped the situation would not escalate into another military confrontation but warned that the US would respond if Iran revived its nuclear programme. “If they do it, it’s going to happen again,” he said.
The heightened rhetoric comes months after the US carried out air strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities in June 2025, when Washington joined Israel during its 12-day conflict with Tehran.
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi issued a strong warning to the United States in an opinion piece in The Wall Street Journal, saying Iran would respond forcefully if attacked again. “Our powerful armed forces have no qualms about firing back with everything we have,” he wrote, while also claiming he opposed war and was simply conveying a diplomatic reality.
Araghchi further cautioned that a full-scale conflict would not be short-lived and could spread across the wider region, impacting civilians globally.
Against this backdrop, Iran reportedly shut its airspace last week, seen as a precaution amid fears of a potential US strike. Regional diplomatic efforts are also underway, with countries in West Asia, including Gulf Arab nations, reportedly urging Washington to avoid escalation.
Iran continues to face internal unrest following violent crackdowns during some of the largest anti-government protests since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Human rights groups are still working to verify the exact death toll, while reports have pointed to thousands killed and tens of thousands arrested in the ongoing crisis.
