A US aircraft carrier group arrived in the Middle East on January 27 as tensions mount over a possible strike against Iran after a brutal crackdown on protests that rights groups say killed thousands of people. Amid the turmoil, the Iranian currency, the rial, fell to a record low against the dollar, trading at 1.5 million on January 27. US President Donald Trump has said he "hopes" military action against Tehran won't be needed, but he has also sent an "armada" to the region while refusing to take the option of air strikes off of the table in…