Iran has issued a fresh warning to the United States following President Donald Trump’s decision to deploy a major US naval force toward the country, as tensions continue to escalate in the wake of a deadly crackdown on protests ordered by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The warning was delivered by senior Iranian cleric Mohammad Javad Haj Ali Akbari, who said Tehran could target US-linked investments across the Middle East if Washington launched an attack. He claimed that American interests worth over $1 trillion in the region were within reach of Iranian missiles.
Trump, responding to reports of executions of protesters in Iran, renewed his threats against Tehran and confirmed that a large naval force — including the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and several guided-missile destroyers — was heading to the region. While stressing that he hoped force would not be used, the US president said Washington was closely monitoring Iran’s actions.
“We have an armada heading in that direction, and maybe we won’t have to use it,” Trump said. “We are watching them very closely.”
Amid the growing standoff, the United Kingdom has also increased its military presence in the region, deploying Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter jets to Qatar. The UK Ministry of Defence described the move as defensive, saying it was carried out at the request of the Qatari government to help maintain regional stability.
Iranian officials have dismissed international reports suggesting executions of protesters had been halted. Iran’s top prosecutor, Mohammad Movahedi, described such claims as false, while Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi insisted there was “no plan for hanging at all.”
Meanwhile, the United Nations Human Rights Council is set to hold an emergency session to address what it has described as alarming violence against protesters. Human rights groups estimate that thousands may have been killed since demonstrations began, though the figures remain difficult to verify due to widespread internet shutdowns across Iran.
The situation continues to draw global concern as fears mount over the risk of further escalation between Tehran and Washington.
