President Trump says massive fleet heading toward Iran, hopes he won't have to use it

U.S. President Donald Trump said his administration is monitoring Iranian activity. “We’re watching Iran. We have a lot of ships going that direction, just in case,” he said on Thursday.

At the same time, a U.S. Navy official said the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group is currently in the Indian Ocean.

“We have an armada, we have a massive fleet heading in that direction. Maybe we won’t have to use it, we’ll see.”

A few updates based on comments and approximate position of ABECSG thanks to @TheIntelFrog: pic.twitter.com/Ask4kQboda

— Ian Ellis (@ianellisjones) January 23, 2026

Regarding negotiations with the Iranian regime, Trump expressed willingness to talk if Iran wants to. He reiterated that the execution of protesters in Iran were halted after a U.S. threat.

The Wall Street Journal reported two days ago that Trump pressed aides to present him with “decisive” military options against Iran.

According to officials, Trump repeatedly used the word “decisive” to describe the impact he expects from any U.S. action against Iran.

Based on that wording, a range of options were formulated and presented to the president, including measures aimed at toppling the regime, alongside more targeted strikes on Islamic Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) facilities.