US President Donald Trump renewed threats to strike Iran if it does not agree to negotiate a new nuclear deal, as US forces conduct a multi-day air exercise in the Middle East, bolstering Washington’s military presence in the region.

The US and 40 partner countries convened in Prague to discuss the implementation of reimposed UNSCRs against Iran, focusing on its nuclear and ballistic missile activities.

By Francois Murphy VIENNA, Jan 16 (Reuters) - Regional fears of a U.S. attack on Iran have eased after President Donald Trump said Tehran had assured him that protesters would not be executed, but he is keeping "all of his options on the table",

He spoke as the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group entered Middle Eastern waters on Monday, giving the Trump administration greater options to strike within Iranian territory. “We have a big armada next to Iran. Bigger than Venezuela," Trump told Axios.

Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, a force which was key in putting down recent nationwide protests in a crackdown that left thousands dead, is "more ready than ever, finger on the trigger," its commander said Saturday, as U.S. warships headed toward the Middle East.