United States President Donald Trump stated that another US military “fleet” is currently sailing toward Iran. This announcement follows the US military’s confirmed arrival of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Middle East.
However, as reported by Al Arabiya on Wednesday (Jan 28, 2026), Trump also expressed hope that Tehran could reach an agreement with Washington amidst escalating tensions.
“There is another beautiful fleet sailing beautifully toward Iran right now,” Trump said during a speech on Tuesday (Jan 27) local time. He did not elaborate further on the details of this “other fleet.”
Trump also voiced his hope for Tehran to strike a deal with Washington. “I hope they reach a deal,” he stated.
Since Iran’s violent crackdown on anti-government protesters earlier this month—which was marked by a total internet blackout—Trump has sent mixed signals regarding military intervention.
U.S. military intervention is viewed by opponents of Iran’s clerical leadership as the only viable path to bringing about regime change in Tehran.
Earlier this month, Trump came close to ordering strikes against Iranian regime targets following the killing of thousands of protesters in the country. However, he deferred the decision while simultaneously deploying U.S. military assets to the region.
The U.S. military announced that the USS Abraham Lincoln, accompanied by three warships equipped with Tomahawk missiles, entered the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility in the Middle East on Monday (Jan 26). The deployment also includes several F-15 fighter jets and F-35 stealth fighters.
In an interview with Axios, Trump referred to a “large fleet near Iran” following the announcement of the USS Abraham Lincoln’s arrival. He even noted that the deployment is larger than the one sent near Venezuela, which recently led to the ousting and arrest of President Nicolas Maduro.
“We have a large fleet near Iran. Larger than Venezuela,” Trump told Axios.
Nonetheless, Trump mentioned in the interview that the situation regarding Iran remains “fluid” and suggested that Tehran is interested in reaching an agreement with Washington—signaling a potential diplomatic option.
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