United States is preparing for the possibility of sustained, weeks-long military operations against Iran, two U.S. officials told Reuters as the images of the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group sailing and flying in formation were released on Sunday.
The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the planning, said the military is positioning assets in the region should President Donald Trump order an attack.
The disclosure comes as diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran continue. U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are scheduled to hold negotiations with Iranian representatives in Geneva on Tuesday (17 February), with Oman acting as mediator.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Saturday that while Trump prefers reaching an agreement with Tehran, “that’s very hard to do.”
Meanwhile, Iran says it's pursuing a nuclear agreement with the U.S. that delivers economic benefits for both sides, an Iranian diplomat was reported as saying on Sunday.
Iran and the U.S. renewed negotiations earlier this month to tackle their decades-long dispute over Tehran's nuclear programme and avert a new military confrontation.
Military buildup in the region
At the same time, the Pentagon has increased its military presence in the Middle East. U.S. officials said on Friday that an additional aircraft carrier would be deployed to the region, along with thousands of troops, fighter aircraft, guided-missile destroyers and other military assets capable of carrying out and defending against strikes.
Speaking on Friday after a military event at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, Trump openly raised the possibility of changing Iran’s government.
However, Trump has long expressed scepticism about deploying ground troops to Iran. The current force posture suggests that any potential military action would likely rely primarily on air and naval operations.
Last month, in Venezuela, Trump demonstrated a willingness to use special operations forces in a raid targeting President Nicolas Maduro.
Asked about preparations for a potentially sustained U.S. military operation, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said, “President Trump has all options on the table with regard to Iran.”
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U.S. President Donald Trump says Washington is not seeking an extension of its memorandum of understanding with Iran, claiming the U.S. already controls the Strait of Hormuz through its naval blockade.
Iran has said the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the U.S. fulfils the terms of an interim deal, including lifting the maritime blockade and sanctions and releasing Iran’s frozen assets.
Ukraine has targeted at least 20 Wildberries warehouses across Russia since 18 July, disrupting a major logistics network. Kyiv says the strikes aim to disrupt alleged military-linked supplies, while the attacks have caused billions of dollars in losses and wider economic pressure.
South Korea's presidential Blue House said on Monday it was reviewing U.S. President Donald Trump's comments on scaling back joint military drills. It added that it hoped a favourable relationship between Washington and Pyongyang could lead to meaningful talks.
Russia said its air defences downed 180 drones over the Moscow region overnight, with 620 drones reportedly targeting the area, according to Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin.
South Korea and the United States are scaling back their annual joint military exercises following an order from U.S. President Donald Trump to substantially reduce American participation.
The United States is pushing to establish a formal deconfliction mechanism between Israel, Türkiye and Syria after Israeli airstrikes on a Syrian airbase raised concerns about the risk of a wider regional confrontation.
U.S. President Donald Trump has paused a planned 50 per cent tariff increase on Canadian goods for three days, saying Washington and Ottawa had reached a preliminary agreement.
A federal judge has allowed the Trump administration to move forward with ending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for thousands of Ethiopian nationals living in the United States, removing one of the last major legal obstacles to a broader effort to roll back humanitarian immigration protections.
With governments focused on conflicts in the Gulf and Ukraine, China is pressing ahead with a more assertive military and strategic posture across the Pacific, particularly around its immediate neighbourhood.
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