Speaking on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, President Donald Trump defended the surge of U.S. naval assets into the Middle East, claiming that the pressure has already averted a mass atrocity. In an exchange with reporters regarding the deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group, Trump revealed a specific new detail about his decision-making process, asserting that the Iranian regime had planned to execute exactly “837” protesters before he intervened.
“There are assets moving into the Gulf, obviously, carriers and other things. So a lot of people are wondering whether that’s a prelude to further action?” a reporter asked, referencing the armada currently steaming toward the Arabian Sea.
“Well, we hope there’s not going to be further action,” Trump responded. “But, you know, they’re shooting people indiscriminately in the streets. And they were going to—look, this was a big thing for me—they were going to hang 830, hang 837 mostly young people.”
The President’s comments provide the first specific number regarding the “planned executions” he alluded to earlier in the week when he abruptly paused potential airstrikes. Initially, he had vaguely referenced “more than 800” people; the precision of “837” suggests the White House may be operating off specific intelligence lists or opposition leaks regarding the detainees in Iranian prisons.
Trump portrayed the military buildup not as the start of a war, but as the leverage that stopped a massacre. By positioning the aircraft carrier and heavy bombers within striking distance, the President implies he forced Tehran to blink. “This was a big thing for me,” he emphasized, framing the preservation of those lives as a direct result of American hard power.
However, the situation remains volatile. While Trump expressed hope to avoid “further action,” he pointedly condemned the regime for “shooting people indiscriminately in the streets,” a reference to the violent crackdown that has reportedly killed over 2,600 people since late December. This rhetoric suggests that while the imminent threat of mass hangings may have receded, the regime’s continued use of lethal force against demonstrators remains a red line that could trigger the “bad alternative” warned of by U.S. envoys.
As the Lincoln draws closer to the Persian Gulf, the President’s words at Davos serve as both a victory lap and a warning: the assets are there to ensure the “837” remain alive, and the option for war remains on the table if the shooting continues.
Footage Charlie Kirk has been shot
Charlie Kirk has been shot
