In a video posted on social media, Mr. Trump affirmed that Iran should never possess nuclear weapons and the US will guarantee that. He accused Tehran of seeking to rebuild its nuclear program and developing long-range missiles that could threaten the US as well as other countries.
The US leader declared that Washington will destroy Iran's missiles, "eliminate the missile industry" and destroy the country's navy. He emphasized that all actions are for self-defense purposes.
In parallel with the above statement, the US has built a large military presence in the Middle East in recent weeks. The Pentagon has deployed aircraft carriers, fighters, guided-missile destroyers and many other military capabilities. Mr. Trump described this as a "giant naval fleet".
The deployed force includes two of the largest US warships, USS Gerald R. Ford and USS Abraham Lincoln. The Gerald R. Ford is the latest US aircraft carrier and is considered the largest in the world, using a nuclear reactor, capable of carrying more than 75 military aircraft and a modern radar system to support air traffic control and navigation.
The Abraham Lincoln, also powered by nuclear energy and capable of carrying about 90 military aircraft, was deployed from the Asia-Pacific region to the Middle East from January. In early February, a fighter jet departing from this ship shot down an Iranian drone believed to have approached "aggressively", according to the US military.
Mr. Trump's military moves and tough statements show that Washington is pursuing a strong deterrent strategy, while reaffirming its commitment not to let Iran possess nuclear weapons.
