President Donald Trump says the United States has deployed an even larger naval armada near Iran than the flotilla off Venezuela, touting newly planned battleships “100 times more powerful” than those of the 1940s as symbols of American military strength that he hopes will underpin a negotiated deal with Tehran rather than war. He confirms he has privately warned Iran about consequences, claiming his threats stopped the planned hanging of 837 people, and says the powerful fleet will remain “floating near Iran” with no fixed timeline for drawdown while talks over a possible agreement continue.