US President Donald Trump said it "would be great" if the US did not have to use military force against Iran. He told Iran to do "two things" to avoid conflict: "Number one, no nuclear. And number two, stop killing protesters." Trump said, "they are killing them by the thousands." Meanwhile, the US is sending strong naval forces to the Gulf. "We have a lot of very big, very powerful ships sailing to Iran right now," Trump added. His remarks came during the premiere of a documentary about his wife Melania. Earlier, Trump wrote on Truth Social that a "massive Armada is heading to Iran," ready to act "with speed and violence, if necessary." Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded, saying Iran's forces are ready to respond to any attack and stressed Iran seeks a "fair and equitable NUCLEAR DEAL" without coercion. He insisted Iran never sought nuclear weapons and emphasized the country's right to peaceful nuclear technology. Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi confirmed no current negotiations with the US are taking place, despite some message exchanges. Protests in Iran started in December after a sharp currency drop and spread into a political crisis. Trump had earlier promised US support to the protesters but later said executions had stopped. According to the Human Rights Activists News Agency, over 6,400 people, including children, have been killed since the unrest began. Iran claims over 3,100 deaths but says most were security forces or bystanders attacked by "rioters." The European Union recently added Iran's Revolutionary Guard to its terrorist list and imposed new sanctions on Iranian individuals and groups. The US-Iran standoff continues amid these strained talks and growing military movements.