A US naval strike group led by the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln has entered Middle Eastern waters, sharply escalating tensions with Iran at a time when Tehran is facing international outrage over a brutal crackdown on protests. The deployment comes as Iranian leaders warn they will retaliate against any military strike, even as US President Donald Trump insists that Iran still wants negotiations.
Washington has not ruled out fresh military action against Tehran, following reports by Iranian media that more than 3,000 people were killed within days during a sweeping suppression of anti-government demonstrations. US Central Command confirmed the arrival of the carrier group but did not disclose its exact location.
President Trump has sent mixed signals in recent weeks. While pointing to the presence of a powerful US “armada” near Iran, he has also claimed that Iranian officials have repeatedly reached out, expressing a desire to talk. According to Axios, Trump declined to reveal what military or diplomatic options his advisers have placed before him.
US analysts say potential responses range from limited strikes on military facilities to direct attacks aimed at weakening Iran’s leadership under Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The New York Times reported that US intelligence believes the Iranian government is currently at its weakest point since the 1979 revolution.
Iran, meanwhile, has issued stern warnings. Officials have threatened to target any US carrier entering Iranian waters and hinted at closing the strategic Strait of Hormuz. Conservative media in Tehran have echoed calls for a “major response,” while anti-US imagery has appeared across the capital.
Human rights groups describe the crackdown as unprecedented, citing mass arrests, intimidation, and an internet blackout that has obscured the true scale of the violence.
