U.S. to conduct military exercises in Middle East as tension with Iran builds

This photo provided by the US Navy shows sailors preparing a Boeing EA-18G Growler on the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Indian Ocean on January 21, 2026. (Seaman Daniel Kimmelman/AP via CNN Newsource)

U.S. President Donald Trump renewed threats to strike Iran if it does not agree to negotiate a new nuclear deal, as U.S. forces conduct a multi-day air exercise in the Middle East, bolstering Washington’s military presence in the region.

The drills aim to sharpen the U.S. Air Force’s ability to rapidly deploy personnel and aircraft, operate from dispersed locations and sustain operations with a minimal footprint, U.S. Air Forces Central Command, the U.S. Air Force’s component for the Middle East and Central Asia, said Monday. The exercise also showcases airmen’s capacity to generate combat sorties under demanding conditions alongside partners, ensuring that air power remains ready when and where it is needed.

Trump on Wednesday reiterated his warning from last week that an “armada” is heading toward Iran, and he threatened possible military action following the regime’s brutal crackdown on a wave of anti-government protests.

His latest threat called for Iran to come to the negotiating table to reach a “fair and equitable” nuclear deal, or else “the next attack will be far worse” than last year’s U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.

“Time is running out,” Trump posted on Truth Social.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that the country’s armed forces are fully prepared to respond “immediately and powerfully” to any aggression against Iran’s territory, airspace or waters. But he also reiterated Iran’s willingness to reach a fair and equitable nuclear agreement.

Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister, said no negotiations are taking place with the U.S. but that “indirect messages are being exchanged.”

“If they claim to want negotiations, they must stop making threats,” he posted to X.

Tensions over Iran’s nuclear program have escalated steadily since Trump withdrew the United States from a 2015 nuclear deal with Iran in 2018 and reimposed sanctions. The Trump administration has argued that Iran seeks to eventually produce nuclear weapons, which Iran has repeatedly denied.

The USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group has already arrived, according to a Monday post by Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees U.S. forces in the Middle East and West and Central Asia.

However, Trump is still considering his options on what, if any, action the U.S. takes on Iran, and there is no indication that any decision has been made, sources have told CNN.

“We have a lot of ships going that direction, just in case. I’d rather not see anything happen, but we’re watching them very closely,” Trump said Friday.

The CENTCOM announcement did not specify the exact location or duration of the drills, or what assets would be taking part.

Tensions between the U.S. and Iran have been inflamed in recent weeks over the regime’s bloody crushing of dissent. More than 5,800 protesters have been killed since demonstrations began late last month, according to a Tuesday report by the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), which said an additional 17,091 deaths are still under review. CNN cannot independently verify HRANA’s numbers. The Iranian government has acknowledged that thousands of people were killed.

Trump has warned against killing protesters and has repeatedly threatened to intervene if Tehran does not change course. Last week, however, Trump said that Iran “wants to talk,” suggesting a possible diplomatic solution.

On Monday, the administration reiterated it is open to having discussions with the Iranian regime if “they know what the terms are,” a U.S. official said.

Warnings from Tehran

Meanwhile, Iran has been escalating its rhetoric against the U.S., warning that any attack would be met with force that could of destabilize the entire Middle East. Tehran is “more than capable” of responding to any aggression from the U.S. with a “regretful” response, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei told journalists Monday.

“The arrival of one or several warships does not impact Iran’s defensive determination,” he said. “Our armed forces are monitoring every development and are not wasting a single second to enhance their capabilities.”

In Tehran, a four-story poster in the capital’s Enghelab, or Revolution, Square threatens the destruction of an American aircraft carrier, according to CNN journalists on the ground.

“If you sow the wind, you will reap the whirlwind,” it warns in English and Farsi over an image of the deck of the aircraft carrier strewn with bodies and streaked in blood that trails into the water behind in a shape similar to the stripes of the American flag.

A few blocks away, another government poster shows the 2016 capture of a U.S. Navy boat, its crew of U.S. Marines kneeling in surrender, their hands clasped behind their heads.

According to CENTCOM, the readiness exercises will be conducted with approval from host countries and in “close coordination with civil and military aviation authorities, emphasizing safety, precision and respect for sovereignty.”

Other countries in the region, including U.S. allies Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, have recently warned they would not let their airspace be used for any military action against Iran.

The UAE, which hosts American military forces at a base in Abu Dhabi, has said it will not provide any logistical support for military action against Iran, either.

The deputy commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) claimed Wednesday that the country’s military power makes any hostile military action against Iran “extremely complex and high-risk” for adversaries.

“Iran’s defense capability has developed in such a way in recent years that calculating the costs and benefits of any military action against Iran has become very complicated for the enemy,” Brig. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi said, according to Iran’s state-run Press TV.

In Brussels, the European Union is facing increasing pressure to add the IRGC to its list of terrorist organizations. European officials will meet Thursday at EU headquarters, where they are expected to approve new sanctions against Iran and discuss giving a terrorist organization designation to the IRGC, an elite wing of the Iranian military that has been used to suppress mass protests.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said he supports designating the IRGC as a terrorist organization for its role in Tehran’s brutal crackdown on protests. His remarks were welcomed by his Israeli counterpart, Gideon Sa’ar, who urged the EU to adopt the measure. Earlier this week Italian Foreign Miinister Antonio Tajani said he would propose the designation at Thursday’s meeting, saying the losses suffered by Iranian civilians during the latest protests “demand a clear response.”

By Lex Harvey, Hira Humayun, Mohammed Tawfeeq, CNN