US President Donald Trump declared that a powerful US naval force is already moving towards the region, increasing Washington's pressure on the Iranian regime.
"We have a large armada, a flotilla, call it what you want, heading towards Iran right now, even larger than what we had during the crisis in Venezuela," Trump said in statements to the media on Friday. According to him, this movement is larger in both size and capacity compared to the previous mobilization in Venezuela.
Trump stressed that further developments would depend on Tehran's stance in the negotiations. "If we make a deal with Iran, that would be positive... if not, we'll see what happens," he declared.
"I am planning new talks with Iran"
On Thursday evening, the US president reiterated that he hopes it will not be necessary to order military strikes on Iran, without completely ruling out the possibility. He also announced that channels of communication with Tehran remain open.
Responding to a question about whether he had held talks with Iran in recent days or if he planned to have any, Trump said: "I have and I plan to."
"We are strong economically and militarily (…) and now we have an air-sea force that is heading towards a place called Iran. I hope we don't have to use this force," he added.
Trump has repeatedly warned Iran that "time is running out," stressing that any potential US attack would be harsh and very broad.
Iran: Ready for "fair" talks with US
On the other hand, the Iranian Foreign Minister stated that Iran is ready to resume talks with the United States, provided that they are fair and do not involve the country's defense capabilities.
"If the negotiations are fair, Iran is ready to participate," Abbas Araghtchi said during a press conference in Istanbul, after meeting with his Turkish counterpart.
The US military in the Middle East
According to a US official who spoke to CNN, the US naval armada led by the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln has entered the Central Command area of responsibility, which includes the Middle East and Iran.
The strike group includes the aircraft carrier Lincoln and three guided-missile destroyers: USS Frank E. Petersen Jr., USS Spruance and USS Michael Murphy. On board are F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighter jets, EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft, F-35C fighter jets and MH-60R/S helicopters.
According to CBS, as of Monday morning the naval force was not yet in full operational position, meaning it had not reached its final location.
