US President Donald Trump said a US “armada” is heading towards the Middle East amid rising tensions with Iran. Speaking from Air Force One after the World Economic Forum in Davos, Trump said, “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 … we have an armada ... heading in that direction, and maybe we won’t have to use it.” The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier and several guided-missile destroyers will arrive in the region soon. Additional air defense systems are also being deployed near US and Israeli bases. The UK is sending RAF Eurofighter jets to Qatar at Doha’s request. This comes as the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported that the death toll from Iran’s crackdown on protesters has risen to 5,002 people, including 4,716 protesters and 43 children. Over 26,500 arrests have also been made. The protests began on December 28 over a sharp fall in Iran’s currency and have grown into calls for government change—the deadliest unrest since 1979. Iran’s military warned the US that any attack would make US bases “legitimate targets.” The protests have largely been crushed amid an internet blackout, but anti-government chants continue at funerals. Videos show security forces shooting protesters, mainly between January 5-8. Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, blamed hostile conspirators for turning protests violent, while US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant credited US sanctions for triggering the unrest, calling it “economic statecraft.” Trump has kept the door open for military action but has stepped back recently to allow diplomacy a chance. The US and its allies continue to monitor Iran closely as tensions simmer.