'Entry Of Foreign Warships Won't Affect Anything': Iran Plays Down US Carrier Arrival

Last Updated:January 26, 2026, 16:07 IST

Trump has confirmed that the aircraft carrier and other warships were being moved towards the region, calling the deployment as a precautionary step.

The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. (AFP file photo)

Iran said on Monday that the arrival of foreign warships near its waters would not change its defence posture or its approach to diplomacy, following reports that a United States aircraft carrier had reached the Middle East.

Iran’s foreign ministry said Tehran remained committed to defending the country while keeping the door open to dialogue. The comments came after reports that the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier and accompanying warships had moved into the region and were operating near Iran.

“Our position is clear. We have never welcomed war, and we have never turned away from diplomacy and negotiations, and we have shown this in practice," foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said during a briefing.

He said the presence of foreign naval forces would not weaken Iran’s resolve. “The entry of foreign warships is not meant to affect Iran’s resolve and seriousness in defending the country," Baghaei said, adding that Iran had the “full will and capability to defend Iran with the backing of our people".

The comments followed media reports that the USS Abraham Lincoln arrived in the Middle East on Sunday evening. The reports also said a ship carrying missile defence systems was heading towards Israel and that a THAAD air defence battery was expected to arrive in the coming days.

US President Donald Trump has confirmed that the aircraft carrier and other warships were being moved towards the region, calling the deployment as a precautionary step.

“We have a massive fleet heading in that direction and maybe we won’t have to use it," Trump said on Thursday, adding that the move was being made “just in case" he decided to take action.

Tensions between Washington and Tehran have risen sharply in recent weeks following a violent crackdown on nationwide protests in Iran. The demonstrations began in late December over economic grievances but quickly developed into a broader movement against the Islamic republic, with large street rallies reported from early January.

Trump has warned of possible military action if Iran continued to kill peaceful protesters or carried out mass executions of detainees. While there have been no reports of fresh protests for several days, Trump recently claimed that Tehran had stopped the executions of around 800 arrested protesters. Iran’s top prosecutor dismissed the claim as “completely false".

Despite this, Trump has said he is keeping his options open, warning that any military action would make last June’s US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites “look like peanuts".

The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said it had confirmed the deaths of 5,848 people, including protesters, minors, members of the security forces and bystanders, while investigations were continuing into thousands of other possible fatalities. The group said at least 41,283 people had been arrested.

(With inputs from agencies)

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