As the Iranian government continues its crackdown on widespread protests, the United States has announced the deployment of an “armada” to the Middle East. This move comes amidst rising tensions between the two nations and concerns over the potential for further violence.
Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, President Donald Trump confirmed that the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and several guided-missile destroyers are set to arrive in the region in the coming days. The president stated, “We have a lot of ships going that direction, just in case. I’d rather not see anything happen, but we’re watching them very closely… we have an armada… heading in that direction, and maybe we won’t have to use it.”
The escalating situation in Iran has already resulted in a significant loss of life, with activist groups reporting a death toll of over 5,000 since the protests began on December 28th. The unrest was initially sparked by a sudden drop in the value of the Iranian rial, but the demands of the protesters have since expanded to include calls for an end to the country’s government, marking the most serious and deadly unrest since the 1979 revolution.
In response to the crackdown, the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) has reported that at least 26,541 people have been arrested. The UN Human Rights Council is set to convene in Geneva to discuss the situation, as concerns mount over the Iranian government’s use of excessive force against its own citizens.
Ali Abdollahi Aliabadi, the head of Iran’s Khatam-al Anbiya Central Headquarters, which coordinates the army and the Revolutionary Guards, has warned the US that any military strike on Iran would turn all US bases in the region into “legitimate targets.”
The protest movement has largely been suppressed in the face of the government’s crackdown, which has been accompanied by an unprecedented internet blackout. However, chants of “death to the dictator” can still be heard at bitter and often well-attended funerals.
The US has taken credit for the unrest, with Treasury Secretary Scott Benson stating that US sanctions have led to the collapse of Iran’s economy, which he says is the root cause of the protests. However, the extent to which these problems are caused by sanctions or internal inefficiency remains a subject of debate.
As the situation in Iran continues to unfold, the deployment of the US “armada” to the Middle East has raised concerns over the potential for further escalation and the risk of military confrontation. Both sides have insisted on giving diplomacy a chance, but the prospect of immediate American action against Iran appears to have receded in recent days.
