Iran defiant as US deploys third warship to Middle East
President Masoud Pezeshkian declared on Tuesday that Iran would not succumb as the United States ramps up military assets in the Middle East.
At a meeting with Pakistan’s army chief, Syed Asim Munir Ahmed, Pezeshkian told Washington to lift its pressure, threats, and sanctions before any negotiations.
"They constantly publicize in the media that they want to attack Iran to frighten our people," the leader said. "Our nation has no fear of martyrdom."
The Pentagon is deploying the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group (CSG) and the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) to the Middle East.
The warship and troops will reach by the end of November, providing more options as President Donald Trump weighs resuming strikes on Iran after the Midterms.
The USS Theodore Roosevelt comprises about 6,000 sailors, while the MEU and Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) typically include around 4,500 marines and sailors.
Roosevelt will be the third CSG in the region, joining the USS George H.W. Bush, which arrived in April, and the USS George Washington, which recently replaced the USS Abraham Lincoln.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards spokesman Hossein Mohebi vowed they would respond more forcefully to further military action, saying adversaries cannot achieve "new gains" from the conflict.
IRGC deputy commander Mostafa Izadi said U.S. naval forces had moved approximately 700 kilometers away to avoid Iranian missiles, according to Fars news agency.