Iran says 'fingers on trigger' amid mounting US threats

'Time is running out': Trump

US President Donald Trump urged Iran on Wednesday to come to the table and make a deal on nuclear weapons, or else the next US attack on the Islamic Republic would be far worse.

"Time is running out," Trump wrote in a social media post, while announcing that a "massive armada" was moving quickly towards Iran. The latest US warning follows high tensions in the Middle East as a result of Iran's harsh crackdown on protests and Trump's comments on his willingness to interfere.

Stay tuned as Khaleej Times brings you the developments in the region as they happen.

'Don't make that happen again'

In his warning, Trump also said the armada currently moving towards Iran is headed by the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln and is larger than the one sent to Venezuela.

He also reminded the Iranians of Operation "Midnight Hammer," which was conducted in June 2025 when the US Air Force and Navy attacked three nuclear facilities in Iran as part of the 12-day Iran–Israel war. He told the Iranians "Don't make that happen again!"

Read his full post here:

Strike group in region

On January 27, the US military said that the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group has arrived in the Middle East, dramatically boosting American firepower in the region.

The carrier and its accompanying ships were ordered to the region as Iran cracked down on mass protests.

The USS Abraham Lincoln is a US Navy nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and the fifth ship of the Nimitz class, commissioned in 1989 and named after late US President Abraham Lincoln.

Ready for dialogue: Iran

Iran's mission to the UN said that the Islamic Republic stands ready for dialogue but it will defend itself 'if pushed'.

The mission retweeted Trump's previous warning to Iran on X and commented by saying: "Last time the US blundered into wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, it squandered over $7 trillion and lost more than 7,000 American lives. Iran stands ready for dialogue based on mutual respect and interests—BUT IF PUSHED, IT WILL DEFEND ITSELF AND RESPOND LIKE NEVER BEFORE!"

Business as usual: Emirates

Amid the high tensions in the region, a senior official at Dubai's flagship carrier, Emirates shrugged off any concerns about regional geopolitical conflicts affecting its operations.

“It is very difficult for us to predict any outcome, but so far, we have not seen any impact on the demand. Our operations are normal and operating as scheduled,” Adel Al Redha, deputy president and chief operations officer at Emirates told reporters on Wednesday.

1 US dollar = 1,500,000 Iranian rials

On January 27, Iran's currency dropped to a record low of 1,500,000 rials to the US dollar, according to Iranian currency tracking websites, weeks after protests sparked by the rial's dwindling value rocked the country.

However, Iran's newly appointed Central Bank Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati said that "the foreign exchange market is following its natural course."

Iran's online economy has been battered by an internet blackout imposed since January 8 and still largely in place. A government spokesperson said that while the government prefers free internet access, security considerations required maintaining restrictions.

No legitimacy

Germany has harshly criticised the Iranian regime, with Chancellor Friedrich Merz saying that its "days are numbered"

"A regime that can only hold onto power through sheer violence and terror against its own population: its days are numbered," Merz told journalists said at a joint press conference with Romanian Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan.

"It could be a matter of weeks but this regime has no legitimacy to govern the country," Merz added.

Khameni's latest post

Following mass protests in Iran earlier this month, the country's Supreme Leader Ayatollah, Ali Khameni, shared the following message on X:

The demonstrations, which according to official figures resulted in 3,117 deaths, largely subsided amid global criticism of Iran's harsh crackdown on protesters.

Call from Iran's President

On January 26, Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman reiterated that the Kingdom will not allow the use of its airspace or territories in any military acts against Iran or in any attacks on the Islamic Republic no matter who launches these strikes.

The comments were made during a phonecall between Prince Mohamed and Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian.

UAE stance

The UAE, too, has stated it will not allow the use of its airspace, territory, or waters in any military operations against Iran, adding that it would not provide any logistical support for an attack despite recent reports suggesting otherwise.

Regime 'weaker than ever'

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Iran's Islamic republic was at its weakest point ever and expected protests to resume eventually, as the United States ramps up pressure.

"That regime is probably weaker than it has ever been and the core problem they face, unlike the protests you saw in the past on some other topics, is that they don't have a way to address the core complaints of the protesters, which is that their economy is in collapse," Rubio told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Other US politicians addressed Iran supporters, assuring them that Trump will support them. Watch US Congressman Lindsey Graham' most recent comments here:

'Abyss of unpredictability'

China cautioned against "military adventurism" in the Middle East.

"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.

No mention of Iran

During a speech on Wednesday at an event on his Trump Accounts for children, the US President made no mention of the soaring tensions with Iran.

Instead, he talked about a $5 billion-lawsuit against JP Morgan Chase last week. Trump said that he didn't think JP Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon liked him too much these days, "but that's OK".

Trump's lawsuit accuses JPMorgan Chase and Dimon of debanking him by closing several of his accounts to further a political agenda.

What would Hezbollah do?

The leader of Lebanon's Iran-aligned Hezbollah movement, Naim Qassem, said that his group was concerned about confronting Washington's threat against Iran, particularly any threat against Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Tehran has previously stated that any attack on Khamenei would trigger a "holy war".

"We are concerned with what is happening and targeted by potential aggression. We are determined to defend ourselves. We will choose in due course how to act, whether to intervene or not... but we are not neutral," Qassem said in a recent televised address wih Khamenei's picture in the background.

The Hezbollah leader said mediators had told the group the US and Israel were considering hitting it in case there was an attack on Iran, saying that a war on Iran could ignite the entire region this time.

Iran sends warning

A senior Iranian official said that any US military action against Iran will see Tehran targeting US, Israel and those who supported the attack.

The comments were made by Ali Shamkhani, Khamenei's adviser on X, adding that any talk of limited attack is an "illusion". He also stated that Tehran's response to any attack would be immediate, all-out and unprecedented.

'Fingers on trigger': Iran

More defiant comments were made by Iranian politicians, with Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi saying that the country's armed forces are prepared to fend off any attack with "fingers on the trigger".

At the same time, Aragchi clarified that Iran has always welcomed a mutually beneficial, fair and equitable nuclear, while stressing Tehran's rights to pursue peaceful nuclear technology.

Read his full post here:

Move against Iran's IRGC

France will back a move led by Italy for the European Union to list the Iran's Revolutionary Guards as a "terrorist organisation", the presidency said, after the force was accused of taking a leading role in a deadly crackdown on protests.

France "supports the inclusion of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on the European list of terrorist organisations," the Elysee said.

The IRGC is seen as Iran's ideological army with the mandate to ensure the survival of the 1979 Islamic revolution. It is already listed as a terror group by Australia, Canada, and the United States, but not yet by the EU or UK.

Eye on the developments

Uncertainty continues to prevail amid heightened US-Iran tensions with Iran's foreign minister warning that its forces would respond immediately to any US military operation. This came after US President Donald Trump declared time was running out to avoid a military operation, but did not rule out a new deal on Tehran's nuclear programme.

This blog will now be closed as developments ebb. Stay tuned to Khaleej Times for the latest US-Iran updates.