India, Feb. 1 -- US President Donald Trump indicated on Saturday that Washington is keeping its "military options" open on Iran, while still hoping for a negotiated solution to curb Tehran's nuclear ambitions.

Speaking to reporters, Trump declined to say whether he has made a final decision on how to deal with Iran. "I certainly can't tell you that," he said, adding that the United States has deployed "really big powerful ships heading in that direction". At the same time, he stressed diplomacy, saying, "I hope to negotiate something that's acceptable."

Trump had threatened military action if protesters were killed in the anti-government demonstrations that erupted in late December and peaked on January 8 and 9.

But his more recent sta...