The United States has sent a mixed message to Iran, signalling it remains open to talks while simultaneously deploying a powerful naval strike group to the Middle East in a show of military strength.
Washington said on Monday it was “open for business” if Tehran wanted to engage in discussions, even as a US aircraft carrier and supporting warships arrived in the region to increase pressure on the Iranian government.
When asked about the conditions for negotiations, a senior US official said Iran was already aware of Washington’s expectations. “They’re aware of the terms,” the official told reporters.
US President Donald Trump last week said an “armada” was heading towards Iran but stressed he hoped military force would not be necessary. He renewed warnings against Tehran killing protesters or restarting its nuclear programme.
Trump, who has previously threatened intervention over Iran’s handling of protests, said he had been informed that killings were subsiding. He added that he believed there were currently no plans to carry out executions of prisoners.
The arrival of the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group significantly increases US military capability in the region. US Central Command confirmed on X that the strike group was “currently deployed to the Middle East to promote regional security and stability”.
While the US military has previously surged forces into the Middle East during periods of heightened tension, such moves have often been described as defensive. However, a major military build-up last year preceded US strikes on Iran’s nuclear programme in June.
Iran has responded with strong warnings. A senior Iranian official said on Friday that any attack would be treated “as an all-out war against us”.
On Monday, Iran’s foreign ministry warned of a “comprehensive and regret-inducing response to any aggression”. Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Iran was “confident in its own capabilities” and dismissed the impact of the US naval deployment.
Referring to the arrival of the USS Abraham Lincoln, Baghaei said: “The arrival of such a battleship is not going to affect Iran’s determination and seriousness to defend the Iranian nation.”
Iranian state media reported that a new anti-US billboard had appeared in Tehran’s central Enghelab Square, depicting an American aircraft carrier being destroyed. The English-language caption reads: “If you sow the wind, you will reap the whirlwind.”
The state news agency IRNA also quoted Iranian navy commander Shahram Irani, who said Iran’s naval forces were not only defensive but served as “an anchor of stability in the region”.
The military standoff comes amid continued concern over Iran’s recent protests. A US-based rights group said on Monday it had confirmed nearly 6,000 deaths linked to the suppression of demonstrations, adding that the true toll could be significantly higher.
Over the weekend, Persian-language broadcaster Iran International, based outside Iran, reported that more than 36,500 people were killed by security forces between January 8 and 9, citing documents and sources. The figures could not be independently verified.
The protests began in late December over economic grievances before escalating into widespread demonstrations against the Islamic republic, with large crowds taking to the streets for several days from January 8.
Rights groups have accused Iranian authorities of using unprecedented violence to quell the unrest, including firing on protesters during an internet shutdown that has now lasted 18 days, the longest ever imposed in the country.
Despite the unrest, Iran’s clerical leadership, in power since the 1979 Islamic revolution, remains in control. While some opponents see external intervention as the most likely driver of political change, others warn it could ultimately strengthen the regime.
