President Donald Trump hopes he won't have to use the "very powerful ships currently sailing to Iran"
</p><div><p>US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has stated that the military is fully prepared <em>“deliver anything”</em> President Donald Trump orders Iran in as a major naval armada heads toward the region.
At a cabinet meeting on Thursday, Hegseth warned Tehran against pursuing nuclear weapons, something Iran has consistently denied.
“We will be prepared to deliver what this president expects from the War Department.” he declared.
Hegseth framed the recent US operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro as a demonstration of competence and intent.
“That sends a message to every capital around the world that when President Trump speaks, he means business.” he said.
President Trump has described the naval deployment in the Middle East as a “enormous” And “beautiful armada,” led by the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and reportedly larger than the fleet sent to Venezuela. Multiple guided missile destroyers have been tracked moving through the Suez Canal and near the Strait of Hormuz, with surveillance aircraft also operating in the area, according to ship and flight tracking data.
“We have a lot of very large, very powerful ships sailing to Iran right now, and it would be great if we didn’t have to use them.” Trump told reporters on Thursday.
Despite the military posture, Trump struck a double tone: He said he planned to speak with Iranian leaders. He mentioned two demands for Tehran: “Number one: no nuclear weapons. And number two: stop killing protesters.”
US military planning appears to be active. Media reports, citing sources, indicate that Trump is considering options ranging from attacking Iranian security forces and nuclear sites to attacking officials – with the aim of reigniting anti-government protests.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested in Senate testimony this week that the US military could attack Iran “preventive” if it perceived a threat to American or allied forces. Rubio called Iran “weaker than ever” but warned that regime change would be more complex than in Venezuela.
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Iran has responded defiantly. A deputy foreign minister said the country is “200 percent ready to defend themselves” and warned that any American attack would be a “appropriate response, not proportionate”, possibly targeting US bases in the region. The Iranian UN mission has stated that it is “ready for dialogue” but if it is pushed, it will happen “React like never before.”
