‘Powerful ships headed in that direction’: Trump says he hopes Iran will negotiate ‘something acceptable’

US pressures Iran amid naval buildup

US President Donald Trump on Saturday appeared to underscore Washington’s naval presence near Iran, calling on Tehran to “negotiate something that’s acceptable”.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One while travelling to Florida, Trump said the United States had dispatched “very big, powerful ships” to the region. “We do have very big, powerful ships heading in that direction, as you know. But I hope they negotiate something that’s acceptable,” he said, adding that a negotiated settlement without nuclear weapons remained possible.

His comments came after the United States deployed warships, including the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, to waters close to Iran. The move followed Trump’s warning of possible intervention after Tehran’s deadly crackdown on anti-government protests.

Iran, meanwhile, indicated there could be progress towards talks. Ali Larijani, head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said on Saturday that steps were being taken to establish negotiations with Washington. “Contrary to the hype of the contrived media war, structural arrangements for negotiations are progressing,” Larijani said.

Despite this, Iran’s leadership cautioned that any US military action could spark a broader regional conflict. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Sunday that Iranians would not be intimidated by American military deployments. “The Iranian nation shall not be scared by these things, the Iranian people will not be stirred by these threats,” he was quoted as saying by state media.

“We are not the initiators and do not want to attack any country, but the Iranian nation will strike a strong blow against anyone who attacks and harasses them,” Khamenei added.

The US Navy currently has six destroyers, one aircraft carrier and three littoral combat ships stationed in the region.

Unrest in Iran initially erupted over economic hardship before developing into the most serious political challenge to the Islamic Republic since its founding in 1979. While protests have largely subsided following a security crackdown, casualty figures remain disputed. Official data put the death toll at 3,117, while the US-based rights group HRANA said on Sunday it had verified at least 6,713 deaths.

(With inputs from Reuters)