US preparing for weeks-long campaign against Iran – report

Despite the ongoing diplomatic track, the US is preparing for the possibility of a prolonged military confrontation.

By World Israel News Staff

As negotiations with Iran continue, U.S. and Iranian representatives are scheduled to meet this week in Geneva, with Omani officials serving as mediators.

While President Donald Trump has signaled a preference for diplomacy, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio cautioned that reaching an agreement remains “very hard to do.”

Despite the ongoing diplomatic track, the United States is simultaneously preparing for the possibility of a prolonged military confrontation.

According to a Reuters report citing U.S. officials, the American military is planning for a scenario that could involve a sustained, weeks-long campaign against Iran if negotiations collapse.

Officials said such an operation could evolve into a broader and more serious conflict than previous confrontations between the two countries.

The report comes as the USS Gerald R. Ford, the newest U.S. aircraft carrier and the largest in the world, heads toward the Middle East, marking a significant escalation in Washington’s military posture toward Tehran.

The carrier will join the USS Abraham Lincoln and its strike group, bringing the number of U.S. carrier strike groups operating in the region to two.

The Gerald R. Ford, which had been operating in the Caribbean earlier this year, is expected to take at least a week to reach the Middle East.

U.S. officials described a broad military buildup accompanying the deployment, including guided-missile destroyers, fighter aircraft, and surveillance platforms that have been repositioned across the Middle East in recent weeks.

Trump has repeatedly warned Iran that a “massive armada” is moving into position, signaling readiness to employ overwhelming force if diplomacy fails.

“We have an armada that is heading there and another one might be going,” the president said last week.

Asked Friday about the additional deployment, Trump said, “In case we don’t make a deal, we’ll need it.”