Illustrative image. (U.S. Central Command)
President Donald Trump escalated again against Iran on January 22, saying that the United States has an “armada” heading toward the Islamic Republic.
“We have a big flotilla going in that direction, and we’ll see what happens,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. “We have a big force going toward Iran. I’d rather not see anything happen, but we’re watching them very closely.”
“We have an armada,” Trump added after claiming he “stopped 837 hangings a week earlier. “We have a massive fleet heading in that direction, and maybe we won’t have to use it. We’ll see.”
Since the start of the month, Trump has repeatedly threatened Iran over a wave of violent protests, which claimed the lives of at least more than 3,000 people.
Trump held off from attacking Iran last week as a result of requests by Arab countries, Turkey and even Israel, according to various reports. However, he still ordered the deployment of additional U.S. military assets into the Middle East, including the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier.
The carrier, which was originally deployed in the South China Sea, reportedly reached the Indian Ocean on January 23. It is carrying the CVW-9 Carrier Air Wing, which consists of eight squadrons flying F-35C Lightning II, F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, EA-18G Growlers, E-2D Hawkeyes, CMV-22B Ospreys and MH-60R/S Sea Hawks
Reuters reported that several guided-missile destroyers were also arriving in the Middle East, without providing any details. Currently, three Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers and perhaps a nuclear attack submarine are present in the region.
Satellite images from China’s MizarVision that surfaced online on January 22 also confirmed the deployment of 17 F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan. The Central Command announced the deployment of the jets, which belong to the U.S. Air Force 494th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, in the Middle East two days earlier.
Click to see full-size image. (MizarVision)
Online flight trackers also revealed that there have been steady flights of C-17 Globemaster III cargo aircraft to the region. Some were even spotted in the images from Muwaffaq Salti.
According to the same flight trackers, there are currently no less than 20 KC-135 Stratotanker aerial tankers in the Middle East.
Additionally, the U.S. is sending more MIM-104 Patriot and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) systems to the Middle East to enhance missile defense, The Wall Street Journal reported recently.
Click to see full-size image. (MizarVision)
The cost of this military buildup is enough evidence that the U.S. will eventually attack Iran, using the protests, which have largely ended, as an excuse.
That’s being said, the military assets sent to the Middle East are still less than what we saw during previous rounds of escalation against Iran. The deployment will likely expand further, which means that the attack is likely still a few weeks away.
During this period, the U.S. could engage in talks with the Islamic Republic, but the chances of them reaching any agreement is non-existent.
Any U.S. attack on Iran will likely target nuclear and missile facilities, as well as facilities linked to drone production, in addition to the leadership of the Islamic Republic. Israel will likely join in. Fighting could go on for weeks, not just 12 days like the war from last June.
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usa cannot do nothing in the moment that iran attacks that air base in jordan or in another place using hundred of drones, cruise missile and supersonic ballistic missile, therefore they will not risk attacking iran while us planes and helicopters are deployed in that bases, moreover iran can attack using drones and ballistic and antiship missile the naval battle group in cooperation with houttis.
usa will have no air base to attack iran. no gulf state will agree and turkey will not support pre-emptive strike. killing khaminei will not destroy iran. only choise is israel and that would empower iranian regime. second choise is diego garcia. very expensive to bomb iran from 5000 km away.
at some point, which may be the case already, it is more beneficial for iran to attack first. the chinese and russians are risking its defeat if they ask it to hold back only for sake of not being seen as an aggressor.
tl;dr: natanyahu is a little pussy that needs uncle sam to do it’s dirty work, again.
and putin meets americans. nice eh?
blind leads blind one of the seven heads cut off fly straight to the death.bye bye babylon you bleed lots of prophets blood.now your time of reckoning has come.
like said before its only a matter of when this attack on iran happens and after only the lord knows.
what was the deal between putin and americans? let us attack iran and you get ukraine? why would putin meet americans anyways?
too bad china and russia will let iran get smashed, you would think part of multipolarism would be not letting the other multis get destroyed by the (((americans)))
it seems iran with help from russia & china lay a trap during recent protests in iran. they cut the internet for the masses, let starlink working, identified the users, then with russian/chinese hardware software cut starlink & identified & arrested a bunch of big mossciad fishes. that must be all the fuss about why trump wants to stop the hangings & is bluffing about attacking iran again. in my opinion they shouldn’t hang them, just put them in supermax prisons
yes let them live for now, may be they can be exchanged for maduro and his wife. othrwise…….
i hope iran isn’t counting on its “great ally” russia to help…hehehehe
i don’t understand why the iranians don’t carry out a preemptive strike. that could end the situation to their advantage, instead of waiting until the us terrorists have everything prepared.
putin is a snake just like erdogan get help by iran with drones but remains trump puppet and shoe shiner.
russia, the self proclaimed christian nation on the side of mass murdering tyrants everywhere, lol