People walk past an anti-American wall poster that reads 'If you sow the wind, you will reap the whirlwind.' following a possible US intervention against Iran on January 28, 2026 in Tehran, Iran. Photo: VCG

US President Donald Trump claimed on Wednesday that an "armada" was heading toward Iran and that Iran should "make a deal" with the US on its contested nuclear program or face US military attack.

"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," Trump posted on Truth Social.

"Like with Venezuela, it is, ready, willing, and able to rapidly fulfill its mission, with speed and violence, if necessary," he added.

Trump said he hoped Iran would come to the table to negotiate "a fair and equitable deal" regarding its nuclear weapons program.

"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," he wrote.

"Operation Midnight Hammer" refers to a US-led operation in June 2025 to destroy several key Iranian nuclear facilities that the US said were being used to enrich uranium for use in nuclear weapons, according to CNBC.

Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said Wednesday that he has not been in contact with Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff over the past days, according to the official news agency IRNA, Xinhua reported. 

He made the remarks while addressing reporters on the sidelines of a cabinet meeting, noting that Iran has submitted no request for negotiations with the US as tensions remain high between the two sides.

Top Iranian military figures on Monday reiterated Iran's readiness to engage in another war with Israel and the US in the case of an attack similar to last year's 12-day conflict, while the Foreign Ministry promised a "comprehensive and regret-inducing response", according to Al Jazeera. 

Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards force warned countries in the region that any new attacks could put at risk the passage of oil supplies through the Strait of Hormuz, which passes between Iran and the Gulf states, per Financial Times.

The US has previously not used direct military means against Iran not only out of concern over how to manage long-term governance after a strike and avoid falling into a strategic and security quagmire, but also because of its apprehension about battlefield uncertainties and various unforeseen contingencies, Zhu Yongbiao, the executive director of the Research Center for the Belt and Road at Lanzhou University, told the Global Times

Since the US military operation earlier this month that forcibly seized Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, Washington may have grown more audacious in resorting to military means. As a result, the possibility of a US attack on Iran cannot be ruled out, Song Zhongping, a Chinese military affairs expert, told the Global Times. He noted that Iran may possess greater capabilities than Venezuela to inflict damage on the US, and that Iranian leaders will be especially cautious to avoid being seized by US forces.

On January 23, when responding to a question that Trump said that the US is sending a massive fleet toward Iran, Guo Jiakun, spokesperson from China's ministry of foreign affairs, said that China hopes that Iran will maintain national stability and that all parties will cherish peace, exercise restraint, and resolve differences through dialogue.