Vance confirms Trump’s military options ready as Iran’s regime faces consequences for violence and executions.
US Vice President JD Vance said Friday that the United States has positioned substantial military forces in the Persian Gulf to ensure swift options if Iran escalates its violent crackdown on anti-regime protesters.
In an interview with Newsmax, Vance explained that President Donald Trump ordered the buildup to guarantee immediate responses should Tehran “do something very stupid.”
“The President has a lot of cards he can play,” Vance said, stressing that Washington is prepared without telegraphing tactics. “We have a lot of forces in the region. We have people who could be endangered.”
Vance added that US deployments are aimed at protecting American assets and personnel across the region, including partners such as Saudi Arabia, as Iran’s leadership intensifies internal repression.
The remarks followed Trump’s own blunt warning a day earlier during an in-flight briefing after returning from World Economic Forum in Switzerland. Trump described a “big flotilla” and “massive force” moving toward Iran, underscoring a posture of deterrence rather than provocation.
Trump also said his warning last week halted 837 planned executions in Iran, claiming the regime canceled—not postponed—the hangings after he threatened severe retaliation. “That was a good sign,” Trump said, while emphasizing that preparations continue in case Tehran reverses course.
In separate interviews with CNBC and NewsNation, Trump reiterated that Iran must end its nuclear ambitions and cease killing protesters, warning of overwhelming consequences if the regime proceeds with mass violence or assassination threats.
For Israel and America’s regional allies, the message is clear: Washington is reasserting deterrence to stop a regime that exports terror abroad while brutalizing its own people at home.
