Iran warns any attack will be treated as all-out war as US moves fleet toward region
Iran warned on Friday that it would treat any attack “as an all-out war against us” and respond with maximum force, as the United States deploys an aircraft carrier strike group and other military assets to the Middle East.
A senior Iranian official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the military was on high alert for a “worst-case scenario” amid the buildup. “This time we will treat any attack, limited, unlimited, surgical, kinetic, whatever they call it, as an all-out war against us, and we will respond in the hardest way possible to settle this,” the official told news agency Reuters.
President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the US had an “armada” heading toward Iran but hoped military action would not be necessary. Speaking aboard Air Force One, he warned Tehran against killing protesters or restarting its nuclear program. “We’re watching Iran… we have a lot of ships going that direction just in case… we have a big flotilla going in that direction,” he said. Trump also threatened Denmark over Greenland, saying: “You can say no and we will remember.”
The escalation comes amid the aftermath of a brutal crackdown on nationwide protests in Iran that began in late December. Activists say at least 5,032 people have died, though some groups estimate the toll could be higher. The pace of protests slowed last week, in part due to a communication blackout imposed by the Iranian government.
Iran’s top prosecutor, Mohammad Movahedi, on Friday denied Trump’s repeated claims that Tehran had halted the execution of 800 detained protesters, calling the statement “completely false,” according to a report by the Associated Press which quoted the judiciary’s Mizan news agency.
Analysts said the US military buildup could give Trump the option to carry out strikes, though he has not acted despite repeated warnings. “While President Trump now appears to have backtracked, likely under pressure from regional leaders and cognizant that airstrikes alone would be insufficient to implode the regime, military assets continue to be moved into the region, indicating kinetic action may still happen,” the Soufan Center, a New York-based think tank, said, reported AP.
Former US national security adviser Jake Sullivan noted that Trump’s confrontations with allies may strengthen China’s strategic position. Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska said U.S. partners are increasingly wary: “It may be you just had a bad telephone call with the president and now you’re going to have tariffs directed at you… this lack of stability is causing what were traditionally reliable trade partners to be cautious.”
Trump’s aggressive posture has drawn criticism from global leaders. In the UK, Prime Minister Keir Starmer called Trump’s remarks about NATO “insulting and frankly appalling,” noting Britain’s sacrifices in Afghanistan. Meanwhile, Canadian Governor Mark Carney urged middle powers to act together to counter unilateral actions by the U.S., a position that reportedly prompted Trump to revoke Carney’s invitation to his Board of Peace.
The situation underscores the potential for miscalculation as Washington and Tehran navigate heightened tensions in the region.
The American military's aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and associated warships are travelling towards the Middle East from the South China Sea.
A US Navy official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military movements, said Thursday the Lincoln strike group is in the Indian Ocean.
The UK Defense Ministry separately said its joint Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jet squadron with Qatar, 12 Squadron, “deployed to the (Persian) Gulf for defensive purposes noting regional tensions.”
(With inputs from AP)