As US moves ships to Iran, Revolutionary Guard commander warns troops ‘finger on trigger’
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The commander of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, which has been key to quelling recent protests across the country that have left thousands dead, has warned that his troops are “more ready than ever, finger on the trigger,” as US warships head for the Middle East.
Nournews, a news agency close to Iran’s National Security Council, reported on its Telegram channel that the commander, Gen. Mohammad Pakpour, warned the United States and Israel “to avoid any miscalculation.”
“The Islamic Revolution Guards and beloved Iran are more ready than ever, facing the trigger, to carry out the orders and directives of the Supreme Commander,” Nournews quoted Pakpour as saying.
Tensions remain high between Iran and the US after bloodshed in protests that began on December 28, triggered by the collapse of Iran’s currency, the rial, and gripped the country for nearly two weeks.
Meanwhile, the number of people reported by activists as being detained has risen to more than 40,000, as fears grow that some could face the death penalty.
Trump’s warnings
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly warned Tehran, setting two red lines for using the military: the killing of peaceful protesters and the mass killing of people arrested in protests.
Trump has repeatedly said that Iran has stopped the execution of 800 people who were arrested in protests. While not clear about the source of the claim, Iran’s chief prosecutor, Mohammad Movahedi, strongly denied it on Friday in a statement carried by the Mizan news agency.
On Thursday, Trump said while aboard Air Force One that the US was moving warships to Iran “just in case” he wanted to take action.
“We have a big ship headed there and we probably won’t have to use it,” Trump said.
A US military official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss troop movements, said Thursday that the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and other warships were in the Indian Ocean.
Trump also highlighted the many discussions US officials had with Iran over its nuclear program before Israel launched a 12-day war against the Islamic Republic in June, which also saw US warplanes bomb Iran’s nuclear sites. He threatened Iran with military action that would make previous US strikes against Iranian uranium enrichment facilities “look like peanuts.”
Flight jitters
The tensions have led at least two European airlines to ground some flights to the wider region.
Air France has canceled two return flights from Paris to Dubai over the weekend. The airline said it “closely follows the developments in the Middle East in real time and constantly monitors the situation in the areas where its aircraft are used and overflows to ensure the highest level of safety and security of the flight.” It said it will resume its service in Dubai later on Saturday.
Luxair said it postponed its Saturday flight from Luxembourg to Dubai by 24 hours “due to the tension and insecurity affecting the region’s airspace, and in line with the measures taken by many other airlines.”
It told Thin the Associated Press it he was closely monitoring the situation “and a decision on whether the flight will operate tomorrow will be made based on ongoing inspections.”
Arrivals information at Dubai International Airport also showed the cancellation of Saturday flights from Amsterdam by Dutch carriers KLM and Transavia. The airlines did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Other KLM flights to Tel Aviv in Israel were also canceled on Friday and Saturday, according to online flight trackers.
As anti-government protests intensify in Iran, US President Donald Trump is urging Iranians to continue protesting, saying ‘help is on the way.’ Dana Stroul, the former deputy secretary of defense for the Middle East, adds that at least 2,000 people have been killed in the two weeks of protests and around 10,700 have been arrested.
