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Trump Announces US Warships Heading to Iran

Published 23 January 2026

United States President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that an armada of American warships is heading toward Iran, renewing warnings to Tehran against further violence against protesters or any resumption of its nuclear program. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One while returning from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Trump described the deployment as a precautionary measure amid heightened tensions.

The warships, including the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and several guided-missile destroyers, began moving from the Asia-Pacific region last week and are expected to arrive in the Middle East in the coming days, according to US officials speaking on condition of anonymity. One official noted that additional air-defense systems are under consideration for the region to protect American bases from potential Iranian strikes. These moves come after the US conducted airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites in June of the previous year, which Trump said had significantly set back Tehran's atomic ambitions.

Trump emphasized a preference for avoiding conflict. "We have a lot of ships going that direction, just in case," he said. "I'd rather not see anything...

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