Iran warned on Friday it would treat any military strike as “total war” and has placed its armed forces on high alert as a US carrier strike group and thousands of troops approach the region. Trump reiterated warnings to Tehran against the killing of protesters or the resumption of its nuclear programme. The arrival of the carrier group adds approximately 5,700 personnel to the US regional footprint. Rapidan Energy Group placed the likelihood of a strike within the coming weeks at 70%. The current tension follows US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in June 2025, which were met with an Iranian volley of 12 missiles against Al-Udeid air base in Qatar.

Source: Daily News Egypt January 24, 2026 17:04 UTC