by WorldTribune Staff, January 28, 2026 Real World News

President Donald Trump has warned Iran to make a deal confirming that it will not seek nuclear weapons or face “violence” on an even larger scale than the “Midnight Hammer” operation which devastated the country’s nuclear sites.

Trump issued the warning in a post to Truth Social in which he stated that American vessels, led by the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, were closing in on the Islamic Republic.

Trump wrote:

“A massive Armada is heading to Iran. It is moving quickly, with great power, enthusiasm, and purpose. It is a larger fleet, headed by the great Aircraft Carrier Abraham Lincoln, than that sent to Venezuela. Like with Venezuela, it is, ready, willing, and able to rapidly fulfill its mission, with speed and violence, if necessary.

“Hopefully Iran will quickly ‘Come to the Table’ and negotiate a fair and equitable deal – NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS – one that is good for all parties. Time is running out, it is truly of the essence! As I told Iran once before, MAKE A DEAL! They didn’t, and there was ‘Operation Midnight Hammer,’ a major destruction of Iran. The next attack will be far worse! Don’t make that happen again. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP.”

Geostrategy-Direct.com reported that the U.S. strike group includes Aegis-equipped destroyers and reinforced air assets. Open-source tracking and regional reporting pointed to heavy transports flowing into Gulf bases and bomber activity staging from the Diego Garcia base in the central Indian Ocean.

Iran went on heightened readiness ahead of the carrier’s arrival.

Military analysts say Iranian resistance may come in the form of swarms of low-cost, one-way drones.

Iran is increasingly making use of drone swarms and they present a credible threat to high-value U.S. naval vessels, Cameron Chell, CEO of the Canadian drone company Draganfly, told Fox News Digital on Jan. 26.

Chell said Iran’s advantage is volume and cost rather than sophistication, pairing inexpensive warheads with cheap delivery platforms launched in large numbers.

“If hundreds are launched in a short period of time, some are almost certain to get through,” Chell said, adding that near-simultaneous arrivals can stress radar, interceptors, and close-in weapon systems.

The Geostrategy-Direct report noted that intelligence assessments from Persian Gulf states indicate that Iran has reinforced its southern coastline with units from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a move seen as preparation to counter any potential U.S. ground operation.

The force buildup is also believed to be designed to enable Iran to close the Strait of Hormuz if necessary. Roughly 20% of the world’s oil supply passes through the narrow waterway, and any disruption could trigger a major global energy crisis.

According to intelligence shared with several Western diplomatic missions, Iran has positioned IRGC and Basij units along its more than 2,400-kilometer coastline, with particular emphasis on key locations such as Qeshm Island and the port city of Bandar Abbas. The stated objective, according to the reports, is to prevent any U.S. ground landing on Iranian territory.

Western diplomatic sources also say Iran has deployed advanced coastal defense systems, including anti-ship missiles and Ghadir-class submarines, aimed at detecting and deterring maritime threats in the Persian Gulf.

The Trump Administration has been weighing striking Iran’s regime since protests started there on Dec. 2

Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced Monday that it removed three Iranian nationals it described as “known or suspected terrorists,” alleging all three previously belonged to the IRGC.

DHS identified the three deported individuals as Ehsan Khaledi, Mohammad Mehrani, and Morteza Nasirikakolaki. According to DHS, all three are former members of the IRGC, which was designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the United States in 2019 during the first Trump Administration, citing its long history of terrorist activity, support for terror proxies including Hamas and Hezbollah, and plots against US personnel and interests worldwide.

DHS said both Mehrani and Khaledi entered the United States illegally through Southern California in 2024 under the Biden Administration, with Mehrani arriving in September and Khaledi following in October. Nasirikakolaki, the department stated, entered the U.S. illegally in November 2024 and was encountered by Border Patrol agents near San Luis, Arizona.

The IRGC is Iran’s elite military force that reports directly to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Through its Quds Force, the IRGC provides training, funding, and weapons to terror groups and has been linked to assassination plots, attacks on U.S. forces, and allies.

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