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Iran has issued a new warning to the United States after President Donald Trump ordered a major naval deployment toward the country, stating that Washington was “watching” Tehran closely. The escalation follows a deadly crackdown on protests ordered by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Senior Iranian cleric Mohammad Javad Haj Ali Akbari warned that Tehran could target US-linked investments across the Middle East if Washington launched an attack. “The one trillion dollars you have invested in the region is under the watch of our missiles,” he said.
Tensions have surged after Trump threatened Iran over reports of executions of protesters, warning of severe consequences if they continued. The US president confirmed that a large naval force, including the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and several guided-missile destroyers, was en route to the region, though he expressed hope it would not be needed.
“We have an armada… heading in that direction, and maybe we won’t have to use it,” Trump said, adding, “We are watching them very closely.”
Meanwhile, the UK has deployed Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter jets to Qatar in what the Ministry of Defence described as a defensive measure. The deployment, made at the invitation of the Qatari government, reflects the UK’s commitment to working with international partners to maintain security in the Middle East. The four Typhoons, capable of deploying a range of short- and long-range guided missiles, were sent to Qatar, just across the Persian Gulf from Iran.
Iranian officials have dismissed claims that executions of protesters had been halted. Top prosecutor Mohammad Movahedi called reports that hundreds of executions were canceled “completely false,” while Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi insisted there was “no plan for hanging at all,” despite growing international concern.
The United Nations Human Rights Council is scheduled to hold an emergency session to address what it called “alarming violence” against protesters. Demonstrations that began over economic hardship have evolved into broader calls for political change.
Human rights groups estimate that thousands have been killed since the protests began, though exact figures remain disputed due to a near-total internet blackout, which analysts say has hindered verification and may be aimed at concealing the scale of the crackdown.
