Amid growing tensions with Iran, President Trump has ordered a major US military buildup in the Gulf. US Air Forces Central declared on January 27 that it will carry out a multi-day readiness exercise around the Middle East to show that it could deploy, disperse, and sustain combat airpower under US Central Command.
The purpose of this exercise is to develop partnerships with regional allies and validate the quick deployment of soldiers and aircraft. According to the Pentagon, the exercise is defensive in nature and is intended to demonstrate that US airpower can be quickly projected into the area and to train US forces for “flexible response.”
A US naval carrier strike group has entered the Indian Ocean concurrently with the scheduled drills. According to US Central Command, the nuclear-powered USS Abraham Lincoln and several guided missile destroyers landed close to the Middle East on January 26. For the first time in months, a US carrier has been deployed to the area.
The fleet, which Trump has referred to as an “armada,” is positioning “just in case,” according to statements made by President Trump and senior officials on multiple occasions. There have also been reports of the deployment of more US assets, such as air defense systems and F-15E fighter fighters. The US has stated that:
It will “use all necessary means” to defend its forces and interests if Iran poses a danger [13][17].
US
Official declarations maintain that all options are still open.
Iran has retaliated by showcasing its own armed might. Iranian authorities warned airmen on January 27 that live-fire drills would take place in a five-nautical-mile area outside the Strait of Hormuz from January 27 to January 29.
During the exercises, the notice barred civilian and other traffic from using that area from the surface up to 25,000 feet.
Iran will test its defenses during the drills by firing rockets and missiles at targets in the Gulf.
State Media
Iranian authorities have regularly threatened to use overwhelming force in response to any strike by the US or Israel. Tehran will view “any attack limited, unlimited, surgical, kinetic, whatever they call it” as “an all-out war against us,” a senior Iranian official told Reuters. Iran’s army would react “with everything we have” if hostilities resumed, according to a Wall Street Journal article by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
Tehran has responded to President Trump’s remarks about an impending “armada” with uncompromising rhetoric. Iranian officials have stated that:
They will use “all means at our disposal” to retaliate, citing the US strikes on their nuclear sites in June of last year.
Iranian officials
In Tehran, Iranians pass a huge anti-American painting (Jan. 26, 2026). As the standoff intensifies, public outrage is reflected in the artwork, which shows a US aircraft carrier under attack and reads, “If you sow the wind, you will reap the whirlwind.” Rights organizations estimate that thousands of people have been killed as a result of Iran’s government’s severe crackdown on statewide protests that started in December.
Iran’s deputy UN ambassador cautioned the US that “any act of aggression” will be greeted with a decisive, proportionate” response during a UN meeting. Tehran views the US military pressure as an attempt to meddle in its domestic affairs.
The governments of the United States and its allies are cautious. The United Arab Emirates has made it clear that it will not permit any attack on Iran to take place on its land or in its airspace. According to reports, Gulf Arab diplomats have pushed Washington to pursue de-escalation rather than launch a direct strike on Iran.
However, recent troop movements are mostly preventive and intended to dissuade Iranian aggression, according to US officials. In fact, the US relocated ships, aircraft, and air defenses prior to assaults on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure a year ago. Pentagon spokesmen point out that shifting forces is a common response during crises.
In sum, recent events have escalated regional tensions to unprecedented levels. Iran has demonstrated preparation through drills and warnings, while the US has demonstrated resolve by concentrating air and naval force in the Middle East.
Everyone is keeping a cautious eye out for any spark. Given the Gulf’s strategic significance for the world’s oil sources, analysts warn that even a little conflict may swiftly get out of control. For the time being, important waterways like the Hormuz Strait are on high alert, and warships and aircraft are on standby.