The United States is reportedly preparing for a sustained, multi-week military campaign against Iran should President Donald Trump issue the order to strike. This comes as Trump has ordered a second aircraft carrier to the region on Thursday amid the growing tensions, signalling a potential shift from posturing to active conflict.
According to a report from Reuters, two US officials speaking on the condition of anonymity confirmed that any potential operation would likely extend beyond a single strike, potentially lasting several weeks.
President Trump has notably sharpened his rhetoric regarding the future of the Iranian government. During a visit to the Fort Bragg military base in North Carolina, the President addressed reporters regarding his long-term goals for the region.
When asked if he sought a change in leadership in Tehran, Trump stated, "Seems like that would be the best thing that could happen."
He expressed frustration with decades of failed negotiations, remarking, "For 47 years, they've been talking and talking and talking. In the meantime, we've lost a lot of lives while they talk."
The US presence in the Persian Gulf has reached a critical mass. The military buildup coincides with a breakdown in diplomatic momentum.
While Washington and Tehran engaged in indirect talks regarding the future of Iran’s nuclear program last week, the President has issued a stark ultimatum. Trump warned that Iran would face "very traumatic consequences" should it fail to reach a new nuclear agreement that meets US demands.
"We have to make a deal, otherwise it's going to be very traumatic, very traumatic. I don't want that to happen, but we have to make a deal," he said on Wednesday.
The USS Abraham Lincoln strike group, which was deployed late last month in response to Tehran’s crackdown on domestic protests, is now being reinforced. The USS Gerald R. Ford—the Navy's newest and most advanced carrier—has been diverted from its deployment in the Caribbean to join the "armada" currently stationed in the Middle East.
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