The United States has deployed the most substantial military force to the Middle East since the 2003 invasion of Iraq, raising fears of imminent strikes against Iran as President Donald Trump weighs his options. Sources familiar with the matter told CNN that the US military could be ready to launch attacks as early as this weekend, although Trump has yet to make a final decision. The president has reportedly polled advisers and foreign leaders, weighing both the risks of military action and the potential gains of further diplomacy.White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt emphasised on Wednesday that while diplomacy remains Trump’s “first option,” military action remains firmly on the table. “There’s many reasons and arguments that one could make for a strike against Iran,” she said, adding that the president relies heavily on counsel from his national security team. Negotiations continue: US and Iranian officials met in Geneva this week for indirect talks, agreeing on a “set of guiding principles,” though key details remain unresolved, CBS reported.
Naval and air power surge
The military buildup includes 13 US warships already stationed in the Middle East, including the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, nine destroyers, and three littoral combat ships. A second carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford—the world’s largest—has been ordered from the Caribbean and is expected to arrive within weeks, accompanied by three destroyers.Air power is also surging. Advanced F-22 and F-35 fighter jets, F-15 and F-16 warplanes, and KC-135 aerial refuelling aircraft have been repositioned closer to Iran, with command-and-control planes arriving to coordinate a potential sustained air campaign. Flight-tracking data shows E-3 Sentry airborne warning and control aircraft and other support planes operating in the region, laying the foundation for operations that could extend for weeks, rather than a single strike.“This presence of so much firepower in the region creates a momentum of its own,” said Susan Ziadeh, senior advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “Sometimes that momentum is a little hard to just put the brakes on and say, that’s it, we’re not doing anything.”
Iran fortifies key facilities
Meanwhile, Iran has intensified defensive preparations. Satellite imagery analysed by the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) and reported by Reuters shows the construction of concrete shields over sensitive facilities, including the Taleghan 2 site near Parchin. Tunnel entrances at the Isfahan nuclear complex have been buried in soil, while sites near Natanz are being hardened. Iranian missile bases in Shiraz South and Qom are also being rebuilt after last year’s strikes by Israel.Experts warn that these measures could complicate any US air campaign. “Backfilling the tunnel entrances would help dampen potential airstrikes and make ground access difficult,” said William Goodhind, a forensic imagery analyst with Contested Ground, as reported by Reuters. ISIS founder David Albright noted that Iran’s recent activity “may soon become a fully unrecognisable bunker, providing significant protection from aerial strikes.”
Strategic stakes and regional impact
US officials told The Wall Street Journal that President Trump has been briefed on options ranging from limited strikes on nuclear and missile facilities to broader operations targeting regime leaders and regional proxies. Long-range bombers, including B-2s, could be deployed directly from the US or from Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, as Trump has hinted on social media.Iran, heavily reliant on its missile arsenal and lacking a significant air force, could respond by targeting US bases and allies or attempting to close the Strait of Hormuz. Analysts, including retired Air Force General David Deptula, suggest that the military buildup might itself push Tehran toward concessions: “The dramatic increase in deployed forces may be significant enough that Trump is not messing around with the use of force,” he said.
