The United States announced a major multi-day air force exercise in the Middle East on Tuesday (27 January) as tensions with Iran escalate over the Islamic Republic’s deadly crackdown on anti-government protests.
The exercise aims to “demonstrate the ability to deploy, disperse and sustain combat air power throughout” the region, according to a statement from the US Air Force branch of Central Command, which oversees US forces in the Middle East. No specific date or location for the exercise has been released.
The announcement came a day after the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group arrived in the region, significantly increasing the US military presence.
Deadly strike in Iran
Protests in Iran began in late December over economic grievances, but quickly evolved into a large-scale anti-government movement. The US Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported that it had confirmed 6,126 dead, including 5,777 protesters, 86 minors, 214 security personnel and 49 bystanders. HRANA is still investigating an additional 17,091 possible deaths.
At least 41,880 people have been arrested, HRANA added, saying security forces are continuing a campaign of mass arrests, intimidation and narrative control.
Rights groups are describing the crackdown as the deadliest yet against protests in Iran. Internet outages have made it difficult to verify the death toll, with monitoring group NetBlocks reporting that connections remain “heavily whitelisted”.
Trump signals military readiness
President Donald Trump has repeatedly warned Tehran that the US may intervene militarily if protesters are killed. He said earlier this month that Iran had halted more than 800 executions under US pressure.
In an interview with Axios, Trump said, “We have a big military next to Iran. Bigger than Venezuela.” But he added that Iran is seeking dialogue: “They want to make a deal. I know that. They have called on many occasions. They want to talk.”
The deployment of the Abraham Lincoln Strike Group underscores that Washington has not ruled out direct military action in response to the unrest.
Tehran responds to US pressure
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian criticized the US threats in a call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. “Threats aimed at undermining the security of the region will achieve nothing but instability,” he said.
