By Molly Grace • Published: 28 Jan 2026 • 15:34 • 3 minutes readThe naval force is led by the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group. Trump issued the warning on his Truth Social platform this Wednesday, describing the naval force as moving “with great power, enthusiasm and purpose”, and emphasising its size and readiness. “This massive armada is heading to Iran,” Trump wrote. Earlier this month, a sizeable US naval force was sent near Venezuelan waters ahead of an operation that resulted in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro. Despite the military rhetoric, Trump couched his statement within a broader push for diplomacy, framing the naval deployment as leverage to extract a nuclear deal.