Donald Trump says US has 'armada' heading towards Iran

As tensions between the United States and Iran continue to rise, Donald Trump has threatened to send an 'armada' to the Middle East.

Activists in Iran claim that over 5,000 protestors opposing the country's oppressive government have been brutally murdered by its leaders in the last month or so, with many more lives expected to be lost as the chaos ensues.

Protests broke out at the end of December in response to an extreme rise in prices, and the worsening the daily hardships of citizens.

US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency spokespeople allege that 4,716 demonstrators had been fatally punished since the start of the new year - 203 being government affiliates.

They add that 43 of the citizens killed were children, and a further 40 were innocent bystanders.

The protests were met with severe force (Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu via Getty Images)

It is also believed that almost 27,000 people have been detained by clerical government rulers, who have been in charge of the country for over four decades following the Islamic Revolution in 1979.

These leaders have since claimed these killings were necessary, describing protestors as 'terrorists', and have also cut off internet access, with citizens being unable to make contact with outside countries for over two weeks.

Earlier this month, Trump's press secretary Karoline Leavitt, told press that the Republican front-man remains hopeful that diplomacy will pave the way when it comes to amicable relations with Iran going forward, viewing this as his 'first option'.

She also claimed, however, that the President was 'unafraid to use the lethal force' against his Middle Eastern neighbours if he becomes aware of leaders opening fire on protestors, and will rely on the 'might of the United States military' if necessary.

Over 5,000 Iranians have been killed by their own government (JOE KLAMAR/Contributor/via Getty

"Airstrikes would be one of the many, many options that are on the table for the commander-in-chief," Leavitt went on. "Diplomacy is always the first option for the president."

Addressing increasing hostilities in the Middle East this week, however, Trump reportedly authorised the sending of an American aircraft carrier group over the Atlantic, the USS Abraham Lincoln, that he once likened to an 'armada' - 'just in case'.

"We have a massive fleet heading in that direction and maybe we won't have to use it," the right-wing leader warned, threatening once again to intervene if Iranian governors continue killing protestors.

Trump also referenced American officials having taken part in multiple talks with Iran over the country's nuclear programme prior to Israel waging a 12-day was agains the Islamic Republican in June of last year. The battle saw Trump chime in, dropping bombs on three major nuclear sites.

Trump threatened to intervene if the Iranian government continue to kill its citizens (Tom Brenner/Getty Images)

Despite US intelligence services later refuting the President's claim that he 'obliterated' the areas in question, he this week threatened similar action against Iran, that would supposedly make its uranium enrichment sites 'look like peanuts'.

In response to the country calling off 840 hangings at the eleventh hour, he continued: "I said: 'If you hang those people, you're going to be hit harder than you've ever been hit. It'll make what we did to your Iran nuclear (program) look like peanuts'."

"At an hour before this horrible thing was going to take place, they canceled it. [It's] a good sign."