As Iran experiences its most extensive internet blackout ever, activists worry that the actual death toll from recent unrest is far higher than reported. The blackout, now over two weeks long, severely hampers efforts to verify information on the ground.

Amidst these tensions, the United States is increasing its military presence in the Middle East. An American aircraft carrier group, which President Trump described as an “armada,” is moving closer to the region. This movement was confirmed in his remarks to journalists late Thursday.

On Wednesday, the Iranian government disclosed its first official death toll, stating that 3,117 people had lost their lives. According to their report, 2,427 of these were civilians and security personnel, while the remainder were labeled as “terrorists.” Historically, Iran’s government has been known to underreport casualties during periods of unrest.

The Associated Press faces significant challenges in independently verifying these figures, largely due to the Iranian authorities’ deliberate actions to cut internet access and block international communications.

In the meantime, the United States has been shifting more military resources to the region, including the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier and its accompanying warships, which are transitioning from the South China Sea. A U.S. Navy official, requesting anonymity, confirmed that the Lincoln strike group is currently positioned in the Indian Ocean.

A US Navy official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military movements, said Thursday the Lincoln strike group is in the Indian Ocean.

Trump said aboard Air Force One that the US is moving the ships toward Iran “just in case” he wants to take action.

“We have a massive fleet heading in that direction and maybe we won’t have to use it,” Trump said.

Trump also mentioned the multiple rounds of talks American officials had with Iran over its nuclear programme prior to Israel launching a 12-day war against the Islamic Republic in June, which saw US warplanes bomb Iranian nuclear sites. He threatened Iran with military action that would make earlier US strikes against its uranium enrichment sites “look like peanuts.”

“They should have made a deal before we hit them,” Trump said.

The UK Defence Ministry separately said its joint Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jet squadron with Qatar, 12 Squadron, “deployed to the (Persian) Gulf for defensive purposes noting regional tensions.”