Iran FM says Tehran ready for deal with US with peaceful nuclear enrichment, and US President Donald Trump warned time is running out to negotiate.
Trump said a "massive Armada" was "moving quickly, with great power, enthusiasm, and purpose" towards Iran, according to his Truth Social posts.
He wrote "Hopefully Iran will quickly 'Come to the Table' and negotiate a fair and equitable deal - NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS," and warned of swift force.
Trump added the force was "ready, willing, and able to rapidly fulfil its mission, with speed and violence, if necessary," the posts said.
BBC Verify tracked US deployments, showing at least 15 fighter jets arriving at Jordan's Muwaffaq Air Force Base, and more aircraft in Jordan and Qatar.
FlightRadar24 data and satellite imagery identified cargo planes, refuellers, drones, P-8 Poseidon spy planes, and the carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the region.
Satellite images showed at least two US guided missile destroyers and three combat ships docked in Bahrain, while an Osprey tracked landing in Oman suggested nearby carrier activity.
Iran has also moved assets, with satellite imagery showing the IRIS Shahid Bagheri drone carrier located just off the Iranian coast.
Speaking to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Marco Rubio said the Iranian "regime is probably weaker than it's ever been" and highlighted posture to defend personnel.
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Tehran would negotiate only if talks were "genuine", and Kazem Gharibabadi said no negotiations are currently under way despite "exchanges of messages".
Background Reaction And Nuclear Context
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran's armed forces were ready "with their fingers on the trigger" to "immediately and powerfully respond" to aggression.
US officials described demands for Iran to stop enriching uranium, limit missiles and curb proxy activity as conditions for a new deal, according to reporting.
Under the 2015 nuclear deal Tehran could not enrich above 3.67% purity and was barred from enrichment at Fordo for 15 years, the agreement text required.
Trump abandoned the 2015 deal in 2018 and reimposed sanctions, and US officials said an operation codenamed "Midnight Hammer" set back Tehran's bomb prospects.
Hassan Abedini of Iran's state broadcaster said Tehran "didn't suffer a major blow because the materials had already been taken out" of the targeted facilities.
The unrest in Iran has drawn international attention, with HRANA reporting 6,301 killed including 5,925 protesters and investigating another 17,000 reported deaths.
The Norway-based Iran Human Rights group warned the final toll could exceed 25,000, figures that underscore the wider political context of current tensions.
In retaliation for the "Midnight Hammer" operation Iran launched missiles on a US base in Qatar, an attack President Trump called "very weak" and "expected".
