ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - US President Donald Trump on Wednesday warned that a massive US naval armada is heading toward Iran, saying the fleet is moving fast with “great power, enthusiasm, and purpose” amid heightened tensions and repeated rhetoric from the president mulling the possibility of a military intervention against Tehran.

Led by the aircraft carrier the USS Abraham Lincoln, Trump described the deployment as bigger than one he sent to Venezuela last December, and he said it’s “ready, willing, and able” to get the job done with “speed and violence.”

In a Truth Social post, Trump called on Iran to sit down at the negotiating table and work out what he called a fair deal that would keep nuclear weapons off the table and benefit everyone involved.

He stressed that time is short and the moment is critical, then brought up what he called “Operation Midnight Hammer,” a US operation in June 2025 targeting Iranian nuclear facilities he said dealt “major destruction” to Iran. If Tehran doesn’t make a deal, Trump warned, the next attack will be even worse. He urged Iran not to let that happen again and asked for attention to the matter.

"NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS," Trump wrote, reiterating a longstanding US demand that Tehran shutter its nuclear proliferation programs as part and parcel of any agreement. Iran has long insisted that its nuclear efforts are solely for peaceful purposes.

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced that a "massive armada" is on its way to Iran, threatening that should Tehran fail to reach a nuclear deal with Washington, "the next attack will be far worse" - Statement

"Time is running out, it is truly of the essence!" Trump… pic.twitter.com/bt1bRsgdR1

— The New Region (@thenewregion) January 28, 2026

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Wednesday said that there can be no negotiations if the US threatens Iran, asserting that “one cannot speak of talks in an atmosphere of threats.”

“Conducting diplomacy through military threat cannot be effective or useful. If they want negotiations to take shape, they must certainly set aside threats, excessive demands, and raising illogical issues,” Araghchi said in a televised address.

Iran’s foreign ministry on Tuesday stressed that it will continue to follow Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s foreign policy directives and condemned Trump’s recent threats of military action amid high tensions with Washington.

In a statement, the ministry declared “conscious and firm loyalty and renewal of allegiance to the path outlined by the great founder of the Islamic Revolution,” referring to Khamenei, adding, “We continue to consider ourselves committed to following His Highness's guidelines and orders in the field of foreign policy and international relations.”

The ministry also condemned recent comments by Washington directed at Tehran, as tensions between Iran and the US remain high.

Washington warned Iran earlier this month of potential attacks if it continues cracking down on protesters or expands its nuclear and missile programs, and Tehran responded with threats of retaliation.

The US Navy’s nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the USS Abraham Lincoln, and its accompanying strike group have been redirected from the South China Sea to the Middle East in recent weeks.

Tensions between Washington and Tehran reached their peak when US President Donald Trump canceled talks with Iranian officials and told protestors in Iran that “help is on its way,” with him later saying the killings had stopped. Iran, however, has denied allegations of excessive force used by its security forces against demonstrators.

Trump on Monday said Washington has “a big armada next to Iran” that is “bigger than Venezuela,” noting that Tehran has repeatedly asked for talks.

Iran’s top security bodies have warned of strong retaliation if the US or Israel carries out renewed strikes on Tehran, saying any attack on Khamenei would be considered a “war against Islam.”

Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan called on the US to open nuclear negotiations with Iran in an interview that aired Wednesday, as American warships moved into the region and concerns mounted over a possible strike linked to Tehran’s violent suppression of protesters.

“It’s wrong to attack Iran. It’s wrong to start the war again. Iran is ready to negotiate on the nuclear file again,” Fidan told Al-Jazeera. He advised Washington to tackle issues with Iran one at a time, starting with the nuclear question and resolving it before moving to other disputes.

Last week, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan characterized the unrest inside Iran as a fresh challenge for the government there and vowed that Turkey would oppose any move that could destabilize the region.

While the US has expressed hope for Iran’s cooperation in reaching an agreement, Tehran has renewed threats against Washington and Tel Aviv, labeling recent protests as a continuation of June’s 12-day war between Iran and Israel.

Iran has been rocked by nationwide protests since late last year, which have spread to the majority of provinces and increasingly targeted the government. The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) has reported that Iranian security forces have killed more than 6,100 protesters.