Trump Claims Iran Wants to Negotiate After the US Deploys a Combat Carrier

JAKARTA - US President Donald Trump said Iran wants to make a deal with Washington after the deployment of additional military assets by the US in the region, including a carrier.

In an interview with Axios, Trump said the situation in Iran was "changing," while referring to the arrival of what he called a "large fleet" near Iran, referring to the deployment of a carrier strike group to the region.

"They want to make a deal now. I know that. They contacted several times to negotiate," he said, quoted by ANTARA from Anadolu, Tuesday, January 27.

The United States deployed the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group to the Middle East on Monday to strengthen its position in the region.

Nimitz-class aircraft carriers are entering the region "to increase regional security and stability," the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on the US social media company's platform, X.

Iran has been rocked by a wave of protests since last month, starting on December 28 in Tehran's Grand Bazaar, related to the sharp depreciation of the Iranian rial and the worsening economic conditions. Demonstrations then spread to several other cities.

Trump repeatedly threatened to "crack down" if protesters were killed, but later softened his rhetoric, saying Tehran had canceled hundreds of scheduled executions.

Iranian officials have accused the US and Israel of supporting "armed rioters" and warned any US attack would trigger a "swift and comprehensive" response.

Last June, Israel, with US support, launched a 12-day war against Iran, which triggered a retaliatory attack in the form of drones and missiles from Tehran before Washington announced a ceasefire.