dramatically boosting American firepower in the region. The carrier and its accompanying ships were ordered to the region as Iran cracked down on mass protests. While President Donald Trump has since backed away from military action against Tehran, he has insisted all options remain on the table. The strike group is "currently deployed to the Middle East to promote regional security and stability," US Central Command, which is responsible for American forces in the region, said in a post on X. Trump told Axios in an interview on Monday that the United States has "a big armada next to Iran," but said Tehran is eager to talk: "They want to make a deal. I know so. They called on numerous occasions." A senior US official meanwhile said to reporters during a call that Washington is "open for business" if the Iranians "want to contact us." The protests in Iran started in late December, driven by economic grievances, but turned into a mass movement against the Islamic republic, with huge street demonstrations for several days from January 8. Rights groups have accused authorities of launching an unprecedented crackdown by shooting directly at the protesters under the cover of an internet shutdown. (Bssnews)