Shafaq News– Washington/ Tehran

The United States’ President Donald Trump said on Thursday that a “massive fleet” of US military vessels is heading toward Iran, describing the deployment as a deterrent.

Speaking to reporters, Trump hoped the US would not “have to use” force, after Iranian authorities, he claimed, canceled plans to execute more than 800 protesters following US warnings.

Washington was monitoring developments “very closely,” he added.

Read more: Escalation without Collapse: Washington’s options against Tehran

Iranian officials, including Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, have denied that any such execution plans existed.

Nationwide protests erupted across Iran in late December 2025 over economic pressures before widening into broader anti-government demonstrations. While tensions have eased in recent days, the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) earlier estimated nearly 4,000 deaths and tens of thousands of arrests, figures that remain difficult to verify amid prolonged internet disruptions. Tehran has accused the US and Israel of stoking the unrest, with Araghchi clarifying that the protests began peacefully before turning violent due to what he described as the infiltration of armed groups.