'Big Force Moving Towards Iran': President Trump Issues Stern Warning To Tehran Over Hanging Protesters Amid Unrest

New Delhi: In a fresh warning, US President Donald Trump on Thursday remarked that a "big force" is moving toward Iran.  Although he emphasized that Washington hopes to bypass military intervention, the deployment serves as a signal of strength during a period of intense regional instability and protests.

President Trump added, "We have a big flotilla going in that direction, and we’ll see what happens. We have a big force going toward Iran. I’d rather not see anything happen, but we’re watching them very closely."

Threatened Tehran with military intervention

Trump has repeatedly threatened Tehran with military intervention following the lethal crackdown on recent anti-government demonstrations. However, as the wave of protests appears to be losing momentum, the President’s aggressive rhetoric has noticeably shifted toward a more tempered tone in recent days.

He stressed, "We have an armada. We have a massive fleet heading in that direction, and maybe we won't have to use it. We'll see."

President Trump claimed on Thursday that his previous threats of military force successfully deterred Tehran from executing 837 detained protesters. While taking credit for halting the mass hangings, the President also signaled a diplomatic shift, confirming that he remains open to direct negotiations with the Iranian leadership.

"They were going to hang 837 people on Thursday. And I told them, you can't do that. If you do that, it's going to be bad," Trump said during an interview in Davos, Switzerland.

He also praised the Iranian government for its decision to halt the planned executions of numerous political prisoners, a group he estimated would have numbered in the hundreds.

First official death toll from recent protests

Iranian state TV on Wednesday issued the first official death toll from recent protests, saying 3,117 people were killed.

State television carried statements by the Interior Ministry and the Martyrs Foundation, an official body providing services to families of those killed in wars, stating the toll and saying 2,427 of the dead in the demonstrations that began Dec. 28 were civilians and security forces. It did not elaborate on the rest.

The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said the death toll was at least 4,560. 

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