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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The U.S. and Iran have reportedly reached a preliminary 60-day ceasefire and nuclear talks deal, pending Donald Trump’s approval, Axios reports. Meanwhile, the GCC condemned Iran’s missile strike on a U.S. airbase in Kuwait, which Tehran said was retaliation for a U.S. strike near Bandar Abbas.
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India is expected to experience its weakest monsoon in more than a decade in 2026, raising concerns over crop production, food prices and economic growth as the country also grapples with inflationary pressures linked to the Iran conflict.
Kenyan authorities have arrested eight students on suspicion of arson following a fire at a girls’ boarding school that killed 16, according to the country’s Directorate of Criminal Investigations. The blaze, which happened in Kenya's Rift Valley, also injured dozens of students.
The British government has unveiled 300,000 new work experience and training placements for young people after a major review warned that rising youth unemployment could leave more young people disconnected from work, education and training.
Billions of dollars' worth of gold continue to be extracted illegally from Brazil’s Amazon rainforest, according to a Greenpeace study, despite President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s pledges to curb wildcat mining.
Soaring temperatures across Europe have broken records in Portugal and sparked heat alerts in Italy and France, affecting events including the French Open tennis tournament.
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