Donald Trump claimed earlier today that a "massive Armada is heading to Iran".

18:23, Wed, Jan 28, 2026 Updated: 00:12, Thu, Jan 29, 2026

U.S. President Trump

Donald Trump said earlier today a 'massive Armada is heading to Iran' (Image: Getty)

Iran has pledged to respond to any form of military action from the US with the use of force, hours after Donald Trump issued an ultimatum to the regime. The country's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, warned that the military has "their fingers on the trigger to immediately and powerfully respond to any aggression". He added that Tehran has learned "valuable lessons" from the war with Israel last June, which lasted just 12 days.

Araghchi also addressed a potential nuclear deal, which he said would be accepted if "mutually beneficial, fair and equitable". His comments on social media echoed the sentiment of an adviser to the supreme leader Ali Khamenei, who said that any US strike on the country would mean "the beginning of a war".

Ali Shamkhani wrote on X: "A limited strike is an illusion. Any military action by the United States, from any location and at any level, will be considered the beginning of a war, and the response will be immediate, comprehensive, and unprecedented - targeting the heart of Tel Aviv and all supporters of the aggressor."

This comes after Donald Trump told Iran to strike a deal and end its nuclear programme if it doesn't want to face an attack "worse" than that launched by the US in the summer.

The US president wrote on Truth Social on Wednesday: "Hopefully Iran will quickly ‘Come to the Table’ and negotiate a fair and equitable deal – NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS – one that is good for all parties. Time is running out, it is truly of the essence!

"As I told Iran once before, MAKE A DEAL! They didn’t, and there was ‘Operation Midnight Hammer,’ a major destruction of Iran. The next attack will be far worse! Don’t make that happen again."

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Tensions have continued to rise as the US steps up its military presence in the Middle East, with the Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group and supporting vessels already moving into the region.

Iran, however, has repeatedly denied pursuing nuclear weapons, claiming its programme is for civilian use.

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Araghchi has insisted negotiations cannot take place "alongside threats", saying talks were only possible when there were no “menaces and excessive demands”.

Earlier this month, he warned that Iran was prepared for war if the US chose to "test" it.