Washington: The US military is gearing up for potentially weeks-long operations against Iran should President Donald Trump authorize strikes, two officials told Reuters, escalating tensions ahead of key talks.
The disclosure by the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, raises the stakes for the diplomacy underway between the United States and Iran. US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will hold negotiations with Iran on February 17 in Geneva, with representatives from Oman acting as mediators.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio cautioned on Saturday that while Trump’s preference was to reach a deal with Tehran, “that’s very hard to do.”
Trump has amassed military forces in the region, raising fears of new military action. US officials said on Friday the Pentagon was sending an additional aircraft carrier to the Middle East, adding thousands more troops along with fighter aircraft, guided-missile destroyers and other firepower capable of waging attacks and defending against them.
Trump, speaking on Friday after a military event at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, openly floated the possibility of changing the government in Iran, saying it “seems like that would be the best thing that could happen.” He declined to share who he wanted to take over Iran, but said, “there are people.”
For 47 years, they’ve been talking and talking and talking,” Trump said.
Trump has long voiced skepticism about sending ground troops into Iran, saying last year, “the last thing you want to do is ground forces,” and the kinds of US firepower arrayed in the Middle East so far suggest options for strikes primarily by air and naval forces.
Asked for comment on the preparations for a potentially sustained US military operation, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said: “President Trump has all options on the table with regard to Iran.”
The Pentagon declined to comment.
