Tonight? Tomorrow night?
The US could move troops, but they won’t
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday that 30,000 to 40,000 US troops deployed across the Middle East are within range of Iranian missiles and drones, while warning that no clear alternative exists for who would rule Iran if its supreme leader were removed.
His comments followed US President Donald Trump’s statement that Iran is seeking negotiations, as the United States deploys a large naval force to the Middle East. Trump told Axios that Washington now has a “big armada next to Iran, bigger than Venezuela,” referring to the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group, which entered the US Central Command area on January 26. However, he did not make a final decision on military action.
Trump threatens major attack on Iran
Iranian officials issue multiple warnings challenging Trump’s ‘armada’ remarks
Iranian officials have reacted strongly to the latest threat issued by US President Donald Trump, as a US military fleet moves toward Iranian waters amid escalating tensions between the long-time adversaries.
In a social media post on Wednesday, Trump issued a fresh warning to Iran, claiming that a “massive armada” is currently heading toward the country as he expressed hope that Tehran would “come to the table” to negotiate with Washington.
In response, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the country’s armed forces are fully prepared and have their “fingers on the trigger” to “immediately and powerfully respond to any aggression” by land, sea, or air.
“The valuable lessons learned from the 12-Day War have enabled us to respond even more strongly, rapidly, and profoundly,” the top Iranian diplomat said in a post on US social media company X.
“At the same time, Iran has always welcomed a mutually beneficial, fair, and equitable NUCLEAR DEAL—on equal footing, and free from coercion, threats, and intimidation—which ensures Iran’s rights to PEACEFUL nuclear technology and guarantees NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS.”
Araghchi stressed that nuclear weapons have no place in Iran’s security doctrine and said Tehran has “never sought to acquire them.”
Ali Shamkhani, a senior advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, also responded to Trump’s remarks, dismissing the idea of a “limited strike” as an “illusion” and warning that any US military action would mark the “beginning of a war.”
As always the EU is playing the role of grovelling sycophant-
Russia and China have warned about the massive destabilizing effect this is going to have on the region. It’s rumoured Saudia Arabia will not allow the US to use it’s airspace? I don’t know?
As always Israel is the wild card IMO