WASHINGTON: The United States on Tuesday announced a major multi-day Air Force exercise in the Middle East, as Washington and Tehran face off over Iran&#39;s deadly crackdown on anti-government demonstrations.&nbsp;The announcement came a day after the US military said the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/us-aircraft-carrier-has-arrived-in-middle-east-us-military" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Abraham Lincoln carrier strike</a>&nbsp;group had arrived in the Middle East, dramatically boosting American firepower in the region.&nbsp;The exercise will &quot;demonstrate the ability to deploy, disperse, and sustain combat airpower across&quot; the Middle East, the US Air Force component of Central Command, which is responsible for American forces in the region, said in a statement.&nbsp;No date or exact location for the exercise were released.&nbsp;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.&nbsp;A US-based rights group said Tuesday it had confirmed the deaths of over 6,000 people in protests, adding that it was investigating over 17,000 more potential deaths.&nbsp;President Donald Trump had repeatedly warned Iran that if it killed protesters, the United States would intervene militarily, and also encouraged Iranians to take over state institutions, saying &quot;help is on the way.&quot;&nbsp;But he pulled back from ordering strikes earlier this month, saying Tehran had halted more than 800 executions under pressure from Washington.

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Amid Iran protests, the US announced a multi-day Middle East air exercise as the Abraham Lincoln carrier arrived, boosting firepower. Rights groups cite thousands dead. Trump warned intervention, then paused strikes citing reduced executions pressure.

US to conduct multi-day military exercise in Middle East

WASHINGTON:&nbsp;A US naval strike group led by an aircraft carrier has deployed to Middle Eastern waters, the United States said Monday, as Tehran warned it was ready to hit back at any American attack launched in response to a crackdown on anti-government protests. The protests 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. US President Donald Trump has previously threatened to intervene, saying last week that Washington was sending a &quot;massive fleet&quot; to the region, &quot;just in case.&quot; The deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group dramatically boosts American firepower in the region. The strike group has arrived in the Middle East, US Central Command said Monday, adding it was there &quot;to promote regional security and stability.&quot; The United States backed and briefly joined Israel&#39;s 12-day war against Iran in June, and while Trump last week appeared to step back from his threats of new military intervention, he has never ruled the option out. &#39;Regret-inducing response&#39;&nbsp;Iran&#39;s foreign ministry warned on Monday of a &quot;comprehensive and regret-inducing response to any aggression.&quot; Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said: &quot;The arrival of such a battleship is not going to affect Iran&#39;s determination and seriousness to defend the Iranian nation.&quot; A senior military official told state television that the &quot;buildup of extra-regional forces and equipment ... would not act as a deterrent but rather increase their vulnerability and turn them into accessible targets&quot;. Meanwhile, a new anti-US billboard has appeared in the central Enghelab Square in Tehran that appears to show an American aircraft carrier being destroyed. &quot;If you sow the wind, you will reap the whirlwind,&quot; its English-language caption reads. In Lebanon, Iran-backed Shiite fighter group Hezbollah, whose capabilities and leadership were severely degraded in a war with Israel in 2024, organised a rally in support of the Islamic Republic featuring an address by its leader Naim Qassem, who warned &quot;a war on Iran this time will ignite the region.&quot; Iran&#39;s Gulf neighbor, the United Arab Emirates, which hosts a US airbase, said it would not allow attacks on Iran to be launched from its territory.

The US has deployed the USS Abraham Lincoln to the Middle East during unrest in Iran. American officials cite security concerns, while Iran has dismissed the move and warned against foreign intervention.

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US to conduct multi-day military exercise in Middle East

US deploys aircraft carrier as Iran warns against attack