A U.S. aircraft carrier strike force is now in the Central Command region of the Middle East, the news coming as Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has tried to violently end nationwide protests against this repressive regime.
CBS News on Monday cited a U.S. official who revealed the information about the American warships nearing the region.
The outlet stated:
The movement comes as Iran renewed warnings Monday — days after Iran’s Revolutionary Guard commander warned that his force had its “finger on the trigger,” while the U.S. warships moved toward the region.
The strike group is comprised of the Lincoln, an aircraft carrier, and three guided missile destroyers: the USS Frank E. Petersen, Jr., the USS Spruance and the USS Michael Murphy. On board the Lincoln are squadrons of F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, EA-18G Growlers, F-35C fighter jets and MH-60R/S helicopters.
Reports said Iran’s recent two-day crackdown to quell the uprising has been among the deadliest in modern times, with over 36,000 killed, per Breitbart News.
“A wave of major investigations published Sunday provides the clearest account yet of how the Islamic Republic responded after protests that began on December 28, initially sparked by merchant strikes in Tehran before spreading nationwide amid economic collapse and political repression,” the outlet said.
On Thursday, President Donald Trump said an “armada” of American warships was heading towards Iran. The president also noted the regime in Tehran refrained from hanging over 800 people as pressure from the United States mounted.
“I said if you hang those people, you’re going to be hit harder than you’ve ever been hit. They actually said they canceled it. They didn’t postpone it, they canceled it. So that was a good sign,” he said, adding, “But we have an armada. We have a massive fleet heading in that direction and maybe we won’t have to use it, we’ll see.”
RELATED: Trump Issues Blunt Warning to Iran Amid Retaliation Threats
“We’re watching Iran. I’d rather not see anything happen, but we’re watching them very closely,” the president warned.
Reports said Khamenei has relocated to an underground compound in Tehran and his son is said to be overseeing daily operations, according to Breitbart News.
“The consolidation of power comes as Iran reels from weeks of unrest that began with merchant strikes in Tehran, with more than 30,000 protesters reportedly killed amid internet blackouts, mass arrests, and lethal crackdowns driven by years of economic mismanagement, political repression, and the collapse of the rial under Khamenei’s rule,” the report stated.
According to U.S. officials, the American military has been boosting its presence by air, land and sea, amid Iran’s nationwide uprising, per Fox News.
Read the full article here