Iran situation is ‘in flux’ but diplomacy is still on the table, President Trump says amid ongoing military buildup

Despite the massive, ongoing surge of American military capabilities to the Middle East, President Donald Trump said Monday that a diplomatic solution with the Iranian regime remains the table.

Speaking to the news outlet Axios, Trump described the situation as being “in flux” as a “big armada” is heading to the region, in a reference to the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group that arrived in the Middle East on Monday.

According to various reports, the White House is still weighing options for a strike against the Iranian regime, after Trump postponed a strike planned for last week under pressure from regional allies, as well as out of a lack of “decisive” strike options.

Trump has reportedly urged his aides to present him with an option that is likely to topple the regime without triggering a broader conflagration.

Today, the U.S. confirmed the 4-ship Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group chopped into U.S. 5th Fleet-CENTCOM AOR.

The “most advanced air wing in the fleet” joins forward-deployed squadrons of USAF F-15E Strike Eagles, F-16 Fighting Falcons, & A-10 Warthogs.

Details & sources: pic.twitter.com/a5a0EYxYaT

— Ian Ellis (@ianellisjones) January 26, 2026

“We have a big armada next to Iran. Bigger than Venezuela,” Trump said, while adding that the regime wants “to make a deal. I know so. They called on numerous occasions. They want to talk.”

A senior U.S. official later confirmed the White House is “open for business” regarding talks with Iran. “If they want to contact us and they know what the terms are, then we're going to have the conversation,” the U.S. official told reporters.

Conditions for such a deal include the complete removal of enriched uranium from Iran and a ban on new enrichment, a hard cap on the number of long-range missiles, and an end to the support for regional proxy militias, according to Axios.

On Monday, the U.S. Central Command confirmed that the USS Abraham Lincoln strike group had arrived in its territory of responsibility, after steaming west from the South China Sea for about a week.

The carrier boosts U.S. air assets with its additional F-35 and F-18 fighter jets, as well as EA-18 Growler electronic-warfare planes.

The strike group further includes three Navy destroyers armed with Tomahawk missiles, according to U.S. media, joining two destroyers already stationed near the key shipping lanes through the Strait of Hormuz, and three littoral combat ships operating in the Gulf.

Sailors aboard USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) perform routine maintenance as the aircraft carrier sails in the Indian Ocean, Jan. 26. The Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group is currently deployed to the Middle East to promote regional security and stability. pic.twitter.com/dkuN946hce

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) January 26, 2026

Other reinforcements include F-15E fighter jets that were deployed to Jordan, numerous additional tanker planes in Europe and the Middle East, as well as additional Patriot and THAAD anti-missile systems that can help protect American bases and U.S. allies from potential Iranian retaliation.

The United Arab Emirates on Monday joined its neighbors Qatar and Saudi Arabia, stating it would not allow use of its airspace or territory for military action against Iran, the Emirati Foreign Ministry said.

The U.S. Al Dhafra Air Base is located south of the UAE capital Abu Dhabi, while Qatar hosts the Al Udeid Air Base, the largest U.S. base in the region. While Qatar and Saudi Arabia were reportedly among the nations that pressed Trump to postpone strikes against Iran, the UAE had not been reported to oppose such action.

CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper was in Israel over the weekend to discuss the situation in Syria, but reportedly also plans and potential joint operations to counter an Iranian strike against Israel.

Meanwhile, Iranian officials have ramped up their threats against the U.S., warning against an attack on the regime on a daily basis amid reports that the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has entered an underground bunker, fearing U.S. strikes.

On Monday, the defense ministry spokesman said, “Our response will be more decisive and more painful than before if we become the target of a U.S.–Zionist attack,” referring to last June’s 12-Day War.

Later the same day, the regime’s Navy commander warned that the military is “fully prepared to safeguard the nation’s sovereignty,” according to the semiofficial news agency ISNA.

Underlining these threats, the regime unveiled its new propaganda billboard in the capital on Sunday, showing a U.S. aircraft carrier stained with blood, with the Persian and English warning, “If you sow the wind, you will reap the whirlwind.”