United States President Donald Trump has reacted to a warning by Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, that any military action against Tehran could ignite a wider conflict in the Middle East.
Speaking with reporters on Sunday at Mar-a-Lago, Trump said Khamenei’s remarks were unsurprising but maintained that Washington still hopes to reach an agreement with Iran. He added that the outcome would depend on Tehran’s response, remarking, “We’ll find out whether or not he was right” if Iran’s leaders refuse to cooperate.
The president also pointed to the growing U.S. military presence near Iran, saying some of “the most powerful ships in the world” are already in position. Following the deployment of an aircraft carrier strike group, about 10 U.S. warships are now operating in the region, including three destroyers and three littoral combat ships.
The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, accompanied by destroyers and F-35C stealth fighter jets, arrived in the Indian Ocean on January 27. Another U.S. naval asset, the USS Delbert D. Black, docked in Eilat, Israel, on January 30. The buildup mirrors deployments previously seen in the Caribbean ahead of the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.
Meanwhile, at the Pentagon on Friday, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine held talks with Israeli military chief Eyal Zamir amid heightened regional tensions.
In Tehran on Sunday, Khamenei accused the United States of quietly seeking control of Iran’s oil and natural gas resources. Addressing supporters during an event marking the anniversary of his 1979 return from exile, which preceded the Iranian Revolution, the 86-year-old leader dismissed recent anti-government protests as an attempted “coup.”
“The recent sedition was similar to a coup. Of course, the coup was suppressed,” Khamenei said, insisting that Iran would not bow to external pressure.
