U.S. President Donald Trump has dispatched naval assets to the Middle East, prompting fresh speculation that he’ll follow through on threats to attack Iran’s senior leadership amid a violent crackdown on nationwide protests.
"We have a big flotilla going in that direction and we’ll see what happens,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One late Thursday as he returned from Davos, Switzerland. "I’d rather not see anything happen, but we’re watching them very closely.”
The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier and its associated strike group passed through the Strait of Malacca between Malaysia and Indonesia two days ago and the vessels are now in the Indian Ocean, according to two U.S. officials, who declined to specify their precise destination. They asked not to be identified discussing ship movements that haven’t been formally announced.
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