TL:DR – Trump Alerts of ‘Significant Naval Force’ Moving to Iran ‘Currently’ | News World
- Donald Trump announces a “large armada” heading to Iran amid heightened tensions following violent protests.
- An Iranian government flight, IRAN07, raised suspicions as it landed in Moscow after leaving Tehran.
- The US-Iran relationship deteriorates as inflation drives protests; Trump warns of military action yet expresses interest in diplomacy.
- Iran’s foreign minister asserts readiness to retaliate; calls for regime change intensify amidst fears of leadership fleeing.
- Questions arise about the flight’s passengers, echoing previous high-profile escapes to Russia.
Trump warns a ‘large armada’ is heading towards Iran ‘right now’ | News World
Donald Trump has said a ‘large armada or flotilla’ is heading to Iran ‘right now’ in his latest warning to the regime.
The US president has been threatening military action against the nation after the Iranian government launched a deadly crackdown on peaceful protesters earlier this month.
Speaking during a press conference this evening, Trump said: ‘We have a large armada, flotilla, whatever you want, heading toward Iran right now. Even larger than what we had in Venezuela.
‘Ultimately, we’ll make a deal. If we do make a deal, that’s good, and if don’t make a deal, we’ll see what happens.’
It comes after a mystery aircraft was spotted leaving Tehran yesterday evening at about 9.30pm UTC, one of the last scheduled flights from the airfield.
Titled as IRAN07 and ‘Iran government’ operated by Meraj Airlines, the Airbus A321 quickly caught the attention of Internet sleuths due to its suspicious route.
The plane flew over Azerbaijan before entering Russian airspace, landing at Moscow Vnukovo Airport shortly before midnight, according to Flightracker24.
The Iranian government plane left Tehran and landed in Moscow some hours later (Picture: Flightradar24)
An Airbus A321 has space for up to 239 passengers, and it is used on short to medium range flights.
The relationship between the US and Iran is at rock bottom after weeks of protests and a mounting death toll in the nation following the protests.
People had taken to the streets after a huge increase in inflation led to people not being able to afford basic groceries, such as bread, and the value of their currency plummeting to be effectively worthless.
The latest souring of the already tense balance has led to a diplomatic crisis, with Trump saying last night that the US has ‘a lot of very big, very powerful ships sailing to Iran right, and it would be great if we didn’t have to use them.’
The mystery flight has prompted further questions over the whereabouts of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, although it is not known who was on board the plane to Moscow (Picture: Anadolu/Getty Images)
Meanwhile, Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said his country’s army had ‘their fingers on the trigger’ ready to ‘immediately and powerfully respond’ to any attacks.
Despite the threats, the US president also said he plans to talk with Iran.
Voices calling for regime change to overthrow the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, have also grown louder since the wave of demonstrations.
With the situation on a knife-edge, rumours are intensifying that top brass among the Iranian leadership might be plotting their escape if the regime is at risk.
While the passenger details on board the Iranian government jet have not been revealed, the flight is bringing back memories of another high-profile escape to Russia as his brutal rule crumbled – Syria’s ex-president Bashar al-Assad and his family.
Donald Trump has threatened Iran with new airstrikes following his promise to intervene if the regime continues to kill protesters (Picture: Laura Thompson/Shutterstock)
The Al-Assads were given asylum in Russia in December 2024 when the Syrian rebels seized the capital Damascus after 13 years of devastating civil war and even longer rule by the Assad family.
Vladimir Putin’s Russia, also an international pariah, has become a safe haven for former dictators and shady figures, including the former Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych, who is sanctioned by the EU.