US military preparing for potentially weeks-long Iran operations
https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/us-military-preparing-potentially-weeks-long-iran-operations-2026-02-13/?utm_source=braze&utm_medium=notifications&utm_campaign=2025_engagement
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WASHINGTON, Feb 13 (Reuters) – The U.S. military is preparing for the possibility of sustained, weeks-long operations against Iran if President Donald Trump orders an attack, two U.S. officials told Reuters, in what could become a far more serious conflict than previously seen between the countries.
The disclosure by the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the planning, raises the stakes for the diplomacy underway between the United States and Iran.
U.S. and Iranian diplomats held talks in Oman last week in an effort to revive diplomacy over Tehran’s nuclear program, after Trump amassed military forces in the region, raising fears of new military action.
U.S. 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 to U.S. troops on Friday at a base in North Carolina, said it had “been difficult to make a deal” with Iran.
“Sometimes you have to have fear. That’s the only thing that really will get the situation taken care of,” Trump said.
Asked for comment on the 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.”
“He listens to a variety of perspectives on any given issue, but makes the final decision based on what is best for our country and national security,” Kelly said.
The Pentagon declined to comment.
The United States sent two aircraft carriers to the region last year, when it carried out strikes against Iranian nuclear sites.
However, June’s “Midnight Hammer” operation was essentially a one-off U.S. attack, with stealth bombers flying from the United States to strike Iranian nuclear facilities. Iran staged a very limited retaliatory strike on a U.S. base in Qatar.
RISKS INCREASING
The planning underway this time is more complex, the officials said.
In a sustained campaign, the U.S. military could hit Iranian state and security facilities, not just nuclear infrastructure, one of the officials said. The official declined to provide specific detail.
Experts say the risks to U.S. forces would be far greater in such an operation against Iran, which boasts a formidable arsenal of missiles. Retaliatory Iranian strikes also increase the risk of a regional conflict.
The same official said the United States fully expected Iran to retaliate, leading to back-and-forth strikes and reprisals over a period of time.
The White House and Pentagon did not respond to questions about the risks of retaliation or regional conflict.
Trump has repeatedly threatened to bomb Iran over its nuclear and ballistic missile programs and crushing of internal dissent. On Thursday, he warned the alternative to a diplomatic solution would “be very traumatic, very traumatic.”
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have warned that in case of strikes on Iranian territory, they could retaliate against any U.S. military base.
The U.S. maintains bases throughout the Middle East, including in Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met Trump for talks in Washington on Wednesday, saying that if an agreement with Iran were reached, “it must include the elements that are vital to Israel.”
Iran has said it is prepared to discuss curbs on its nuclear program in exchange for lifting sanctions, but has ruled out linking the issue to missiles.
Hey! More war in the Middle East!
Ah sounds like a 3 day operation.
Send ICE since they think they are military
NOT a war though. He’s the anti war guy, he stopped 16 of them, he doesn’t start them.
Thank God this plan is well thought out. I was worried we might do stupid shit with the military again.
One month bombing distraction planned for every million pages of Epstein files.
brought to you by the winner of the FIFA peace prize and the hand-me-down Nobel peace prize
Trumps MO is to threaten a country while moving assets into the region. A few months later he goes in. He’s been building up for a while now so by the end of spring I expect him to start blasting
The regime needs to go. I pray that smarter people than trump have planned whatever is about to happen without him and haven’t left it up to Mr. “everything is easy, just listen to me and do what I, a syphilitic real estate developer and sex pest, says!!”
What’s the signal chat saying
Probably happening sometime between now and when the Clinton’s are due to testify.
“No New Wars” 😅
Weeks? This sounds like another Afghanistan
Bibi threatened to release more files
Anything to distract from the Trump-Epstien files.
Fuck this timeline.
Is this so we will forget that picture of a nine-year-old pulling her panties down for President Trump?
Yeah Hegseth just told me OPSEC IS CLEAR on the signal chat he accidentally invited to me to so we are good to go!
Another day, another war
A short time and too many American lives later …
🍊 ” I’ve now stopped 27 wars ! No human , let alone another president has done that . ”
” God Damn ! You peasants are hung up on this Epstein hoax ! “
Hey these Epstien files are getting out of hand and the usual tactics are not working, let’s start a war. Trump quote probably.
It’s all y’all fault for changing the Epstein PDF to MP4 and discovered all the disturbing videos, including the fact they covered up the. Murder of Epstein to silence him
#EPSTEIN FILES DISTRACTION
Clickbait
FREE IRAN!
Release the Epstein files….
The no wars president ladies and gentlemen!
another distraction from the Epstein files