ISTANBUL

The US has dispatched another warship to the Middle East after President Donald Trump said a "massive armada" was moving toward Iran, CBS reported Thursday.

Trump reiterated that "a lot of very big, very powerful" ships are sailing to Iran right now. "It would be great if we didn't have to use them," he said.

Asked what message he shared with Iran, Trump said: “I told them two things: number one, no nuclear, and number two, stop killing protesters.”

The Pentagon is rapidly deploying the carrier strike group, advanced fighter squadrons and missile defense batteries in a significant shift of regional force posture amid heightened tensions with Tehran.

Iran’s army says response to any US attack will be ‘decisive, swift’

The Iranian army has warned that any attack on the country will be met with a “decisive and swift response,” as Iran’s Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref said on Thursday that the government considers itself to be in a “state of war readiness.”

Aref said Iran “will not be the initiator of a war” but would defend itself “with full force,” adding that the end of any war “will not be determined by the enemies,” in an apparent reference to the US and Israel.

Brig. Gen. Mohammad Akraminia, spokesperson for the army, warned that if the “enemy” makes a “foolish move and miscalculates again,” it will be met with a response “in real time and without delay.”

Turkish, Iranian foreign ministers to meet in Istanbul

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan is set to meet with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Friday in Istanbul.

Following their talks, Foreign Minister Fidan and his Iranian counterpart are expected to hold a joint press conference at around 1.45 pm local time (1045GMT).

Israeli, Saudi officials visit US for Iran talks amid military buildup: Report

Defense and intelligence officials from Saudi Arabia and Israel are visiting the United States this week to discuss Iran amid a US military buildup in the region.

The head of Israel’s Military Intelligence Directorate, Maj. Gen. Shlomi Binder, conducted a series of high-level consultations Tuesday and Wednesday with the top leadership at the Pentagon, the CIA and the White House, according to two American officials.

The visit was said to be centered on delivering specific intelligence requested by the Trump administration, including data on potential strike targets within Iran.

Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman said he met with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff.

"We discussed our efforts to advance regional and global peace and stability," said the Saudi defense chief, who is expected to continue talks Friday to emphasize diplomatic avenues with the three US figures as well as Pentagon officials.

Israel’s Netanyahu holds security meeting on 'classified topic'

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a security meeting Thursday with senior advisers and officials from defense institutions to discuss what was described as a “classified topic."

Held in West Jerusalem, it focused on the possibility of a US attack on Iran, according to The Times of Israel.

Israeli officials reportedly believe that a limited strike would not lead to the collapse of the Iranian government and think that US President Donald Trump shares the same view. For this reason, they assess that a potential US attack on Iran would focus primarily on its nuclear and missile programs, the report said.