Tensions in the Middle East continued to rise on Monday as US warplanes and aircraft carriers moved closer to the Persian Gulf, prompting growing concern among regional officials that the United States may strike Iran in the coming days - a move that could trigger widespread retaliation by Iran and its proxy militias, The New York Times reported.
According to a US official quoted by The Times, the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln, accompanied by three warships armed with Tomahawk missiles, entered the Central Command area of responsibility in the western Indian Ocean on Monday. If ordered, the carrier could launch strikes on Iran within one to two days. The US has also deployed a dozen F‑15E attack aircraft to bolster its strike capabilities.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly warned that he could order military action against Iran since protests erupted across the country in late December and grew into nationwide demonstrations.
In early January, he said the United States was “locked and loaded" if “innocent protesters" were killed. Days later, he encouraged demonstrators to continue, saying “help is on its way." Iranian security forces then launched a brutal crackdown that rights groups say has killed thousands. No US military action followed.
Iranian officials have intensified their warnings, issuing daily threats of retaliation. On Monday, both the foreign and defense ministries vowed a forceful response.
“Our response will be more decisive and more painful than before if we become the target of a US-Zionist attack," said defense ministry spokesman Reza Talaei‑Nik, referencing the June war launched by Israel against Iran, which US warplanes briefly joined.
Hours later, Iran’s navy commander declared the armed forces “fully prepared to safeguard the nation’s sovereignty," according to ISNA.
In Tehran, a massive billboard was unveiled showing a bloodied aircraft carrier resembling the American flag, with a warning in Persian and English: “If you sow the wind, you will reap the whirlwind."
Earlier in January, Trump warned that if Iran executed detained protesters, he would act. He later claimed his threats prevented more than 830 executions - a claim Iran’s prosecutor general dismissed as “completely false."
Trump appeared to step back from a strike earlier this month after Middle East leaders warned it could ignite a regional war. Iranian officials reportedly told Gulf and Iraqi counterparts that their countries would be targeted in retaliation for hosting US bases.