U.S. President Donald Trump said that Iran wants to reach a deal with Washington, at a time when the United States has deployed additional military assets to the region, including an aircraft carrier strike group.
In an interview with the news website Axios, Trump said the situation with Iran is “changing,” referring to the arrival of what he described as a “large armada” near Iran, in reference to the deployment of an aircraft carrier strike group in the region.
“They want to make a deal. I know this. They have called on multiple occasions. They want to talk,” he added.
On Monday, the U.S. deployed the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group to the Middle East, as Washington strengthens its regional posture. The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier entered the region “to promote regional security and stability,” U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said on the social media platform X.
Iran has been shaken by waves of protests since last month, beginning on December 28 in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar, triggered by the sharp devaluation of the Iranian rial and worsening economic conditions. The demonstrations later spread to several other cities.
Trump has repeatedly threatened to “strike hard” if protesters were killed, but later softened his rhetoric, suggesting that Tehran had canceled hundreds of planned executions.
Iranian officials have accused the U.S. and Israel of supporting “armed unrest” and warned that any American strike would trigger a “rapid and comprehensive” response.
Last June, Israel, with U.S. support, launched a 12-day war against Iran, prompting retaliatory drone and missile strikes from Tehran, before Washington announced a ceasefire.
