Iran placed its armed forces on high alert after US warships and fighter jets were reportedly sent to the region, describing the buildup as a direct threat to Iranian security.
BY PC Bureau
January 24, 2026: Iran escalated its rhetoric against the United States on Sunday, warning that any military strike—no matter how limited—would be met as a declaration of full-scale war, following US President Donald Trump’s announcement of a major American naval deployment to the Middle East.
A senior Iranian official told media persons that Tehran considered the expanding US military presence a direct provocation and would retaliate using “all available means” if attacked. “Any strike, whether described as surgical or restrained, will be treated as an all-out war against Iran,” the official said.
The warning came a day after Trump claimed an “armada” of US warships was moving toward the region, reigniting tensions that had briefly appeared to ease. US media reports said the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, along with three Tomahawk missile–armed destroyers and US Air Force F-15E fighter jets, are being deployed to the Middle East.
Iranian authorities confirmed that the country’s armed forces have been placed on high alert, though they declined to spell out the nature of a possible response. “We hope this buildup is not intended for confrontation,” the official said, “but our military is prepared for the worst-case scenario.”
BREAKING: Iran says any attack at all will be seen as full scale war and it will respond with maximum force, according to Reuters citing an Iranian official. pic.twitter.com/pKL0gbsHrA
— War Pulse (@War_Pulse24) January 24, 2026
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The renewed escalation unfolds amid prolonged unrest inside Iran, where months of anti-government protests have been met with a forceful crackdown. Activist groups claim more than 5,000 people have been killed since the demonstrations began earlier this year, figures the Iranian government has not independently confirmed.
Tensions between Washington and Tehran had briefly cooled last week after Trump suggested he had stepped back from military action, citing assurances from Iran regarding detained protesters. Trump later claimed that US pressure had prevented the execution of hundreds of detainees.
That lull has since evaporated. Iranian military leaders have again adopted a confrontational tone, with a spokesperson for the armed forces warning that any move against Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would have “catastrophic consequences.” The commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said Iran had its “finger on the trigger” in response to threats from the US and Israel.
The standoff intensified as Trump returned to the United States following his appearance at the World Economic Forum in Davos, fuelling renewed fears that the long-running hostility between Washington and Tehran could slide into direct military confrontation.
