US ‘armada’ heading toward Iran, Trump says

US President Donald Trump said the United States has an “armada” heading toward Iran but hoped he would not have to use it, Reuters writes.

US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, say the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and several guided-missile destroyers will arrive in the Middle East in the coming days.

One official said additional air-defense systems were also being eyed for the Middle East, which could be critical to guard against any Iranian strike on US bases in the region.

“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,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on his way back to the United States after speaking to world leaders in Davos, Switzerland.

Trump had repeatedly threatened to intervene in anti-government protests in Iran due to the killing of demonstrators, but last week he softened his rhetoric following the cancellation of death sentences for prisoners.