'Have an armada there, maybe another one on the way': Trump ahead of nuke talks with Iran

Amid the tensions with Iran, US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday (Feb 10) that another aircraft might be on its way to the Middle East. "We have an armada there and maybe another one on the way," the American President told Axios in an interview. Moreover, it was reported that Trump said that "any deal with Iran must include its ballistic missiles. "We can make an excellent deal with Iran," he added.

This came after the report that American forces in Qatar's al-Udeid air base, the biggest US base in the region, put Patriot air defence missiles into truck launchers. "Patriot missiles were placed in M983 Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Trucks (HEMTT) rather than semi-static launcher stations-- which could allow them to be less easily targeted by Iran or deployed more quickly if needed," a Reuters report said on Tuesday (Feb 10).

"The decision to do so gives the Patriots much greater mobility, meaning they can be moved to an alternative site or repositioned with greater speed," William Goodhind, a forensic imagery analyst with Contested Ground, told Reuters.

On the other hand, Trump also expressed hope for further negotiation. He claimed that Iran "wants to make a deal very badly" and is engaging much more seriously than during previous talks due to the military threat. "Last time they didn't believe I would do it," Trump said, alluding to his decision to strike Iran's nuclear facilities in June. “They overplayed their hand,” he said.

The American president said that it was a "no brainer" that any deal with Iran would include its nuclear programme. Still, he also thought it would be possible to address Iran's ballistic missile stockpiles. When questioned about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's take on the upcoming talks, Trump said he doesn't think Netanyahu is nervous about the U.S.-Iran negotiations. "He also wants a deal. He wants a good deal."