WASHINGTON: The US military is reportedly prepared for possible strikes on Iran as soon as this weekend, multiple news outlets reported Wednesday, citing unnamed sources.
However, President Donald Trump has yet to make a final decision on whether to authorize an attack, with diplomacy still being promoted as the first option.
Trump has repeatedly demanded that Iran cease its nuclear program, warning that he would use force if a deal is not reached, according to The Guardian.
According to reports from the New York Times, CBS News, and CNN, the US has assembled sufficient air and naval resources in the Middle East to launch an attack in the coming days.
Reuters, citing a senior US official, indicated a slightly different timeline, reporting that top US national security advisers were informed during a Wednesday White House Situation Room meeting that all US forces deployed to the region should be in place by mid-March.
CBS News also noted that the timeline for a strike could extend beyond this weekend.
Iran is expected to submit a written proposal detailing a possible resolution to its standoff with the US following talks in Geneva on Tuesday, the official told Reuters.
During a Wednesday press briefing, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt did not provide a specific deadline for Iran but stressed, “Iran would be very wise to make a deal with President Trump.”
She added that the Trump administration “totally obliterated Iran’s nuclear facilities” in prior operations, but emphasized that diplomacy remains the president’s first preference.
She noted some progress following the Geneva talks, but said “we’re still very far apart on some issues.”
One source told CNN that Trump is “spending a lot of time thinking about this,” reflecting the weight of the potential military decision.
Axios reporter Barak Ravid reported that Trump met Wednesday with the two advisers leading indirect talks with Iran, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, his son-in-law.
On Israeli television, Ravid cited US sources describing the Geneva talks with Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, as a “nothingburger.”
The Pentagon is reportedly preparing for a joint Israeli-US offensive that could last weeks, with Iran having until the end of February to offer concessions on its nuclear program.
The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier group and its accompanying flotilla are already stationed in the region, CBS News reported.
A second carrier group, the USS Gerald Ford, is en route, currently off the coast of West Africa, according to maritime tracking data and open-source researchers.
Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, posted an AI-generated image of the Gerald Ford in a maritime grave on social media, warning, “More dangerous than that warship is the weapon that can send that warship to the bottom of the sea.”
Dozens of refueling tankers and over 50 additional fighter jets have also been deployed to the Middle East, the New York Times reported.
Meanwhile, the Pentagon is relocating some personnel to reduce vulnerability to counterattacks in the event of US strikes, CBS noted.
Preparations are also underway in Israel for potential participation alongside US forces, according to two defense officials cited by the New York Times.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, in an interview with Saudi Arabia’s Al-Arabiya aired Wednesday, warned of the risks, saying, “No one wants an increase in tension.
Everyone understands this is playing with fire.” He urged the US to avoid military action and allow Iran to pursue a peaceful nuclear program.
In June, the US carried out strikes on key Iranian nuclear enrichment sites, while Israeli jets targeted dozens of locations, including a long-range missile site in Yazd, marking a previous escalation in tensions.
