• Tehran warns it will ‘respond like never before’ if attacked
• China opposes ‘military adventurism’ in Middle East

WASHINGTON: The recent arrival of an aircraft carrier strike group to the Middle East brings the number of US warships in the region to 10, putting significant firepower at President Donald Trump’s disposal if he decides to strike Iran.

The number of ships in the Middle East is now roughly equal to that sent to the Caribbean ahead of the stunning US operation to seize Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, which American forces carried out at the beginning of the year.

A US official on Wednesday put the total number of US ships in the Middle East at 10. The figure includes the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier group, which boasts three destroyers and F-35C stealth warplanes. There are also six other US warships operating in the region — three destroyers and three littoral combat ships.

“A massive Armada is heading to Iran,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform on Wednesday, saying: “Like with Venezuela, it is, ready, willing, and able to rapidly fulfill its mission, with speed and violence, if necessary.”

“Time is running out,” he added, urging Tehran to “MAKE A DEAL!” Trump had repeatedly warned Iran that if it killed protesters, the United States would intervene militarily, and also encouraged Iranians to take over state institutions, saying “help is on the way.” He pulled back from ordering strikes earlier this month, saying Tehran had halted more than 800 executions under pressure from Washington, but has since renewed threats against Iran.

‘Unprecedented retaliation’

Iran will deliver an unprecedented retaliation to any US attack, its mission to the United Nations said, in response to a military threat from President Donald Trump.

“Iran stands ready for dialogue based on mutual respect and interests — BUT IF PUSHED, IT WILL DEFEND ITSELF AND RESPOND LIKE NEVER BEFORE!” the mission wrote on X alongside a screenshot of Trump’s social media threat early Wednesday.

The Iranian mission, warning against US intervention, also referenced the United States’ casualties and expenditures in its past two wars. “Last time the US blundered into wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, it squandered over $7 trillion and lost more than 7,000 American lives,” the mission said.

Trump on Wednesday renewed threats to attack Iran, saying “time is running out” to make a deal on nuclear weapons. They didn’t, and there was ‘Operation Midnight Hammer,’ a major destruction of Iran. The next attack will be far worse!”

Trump has repeatedly left open the option of new military action against Iran after Washington joined Israel’s 12-day war in June aimed at degrading Iranian nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.

China’s warning

China on Wednesday cautioned against “military adventurism” in the Middle East as US President Donald Trump ramped up military threats on Iran, which vowed to retaliate to any attack.

“The use of force cannot solve problems. Any military adventurism will only push the region into an abyss of unpredictability,” Fu Cong, the Chinese ambassador to the United Nations, told the UN Security Council.

Published in Dawn, January 29th, 2026