Trump raises military pressure on Iran: "A large fleet is on the move"

[The Financial News] President Donald Trump has raised the pressure on the Islamic Republic of Iran over its large-scale anti-government protests and the bloody crackdown, leaving open the possibility of military intervention. He publicly acknowledged that U.S. forces are moving to the Middle East, yet maintained strategic ambiguity by refusing to draw a clear line on whether military action will actually be taken.
On the 22nd (local time), speaking with reporters aboard his plane returning to the United States, President Donald Trump said, "We have a lot of ships going in that direction just in case. A large fleet is heading that way, and we will see what happens."
He added, "I hope nothing happens, but we are watching them (Iran) very closely." The United States is currently believed to be deploying an aircraft carrier and fighter jets to the Middle East.
Trump credited his own pressure for the fact that the Iranian government considered mass executions of protest participants but then halted the plan. He said, "Iran was going to hang 837 people, but I told them in the strongest possible terms not to do it, and they did not go through with it," calling it "a good sign." However, when asked whether he was demanding the resignation or exile of Iran’s supreme leader, he replied, "I don’t want to go that far. But they know what we want."
In an interview on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, the same day, Trump again avoided giving a direct answer on possible military intervention. "I don’t want to tie myself down to any particular position," he said, adding that it would be "foolish" to make a definitive statement about intervening. Referring to Iran, he said, "They used to be called the ‘thug of the Middle East,’ but they are no longer that," and claimed, "They are all afraid of the United States."
Trump has cited the halt of executions as a reason for recently holding off on military strikes against Iran. However, some analysts argue that the United States and Israel may not have had sufficient weapons stockpiles to respond to potential Iranian retaliation.
Amid these tensions, he publicly called on defense contractors to speed up weapons production. Trump said, "When we place an order, whether it’s a Tomahawk cruise missile or an MIM-104 Patriot, I want it within 24 hours," adding, "I don’t want to wait three years. Our equipment is the best, but it takes far too long to get the quantities we need."

km@fnnews.com Kim Kyung-min Reporter