The United States is building a strong naval and air force in the Middle East, a development that, according to US media, could signal preparations for a large-scale attack on Iran, if ordered by President Donald Trump.
According to reports by the American networks CNN and CBS News broadcast yesterday, the US armed forces are ready to launch attacks against Iran by the weekend, if there is a corresponding order from Donald Trump.
The US president, who had already decided on air strikes in June 2025 against Iranian nuclear facilities, has repeatedly warned Tehran that he does not rule out military intervention if talks on the Islamic Republic's nuclear program do not lead to an agreement.
It is recalled that in 2018, during his first term, he withdrew the US from the 2015 agreement on the Iranian nuclear program, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
The presence of “such firepower in the region creates momentum in itself,” commented analyst Susan Ziade of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, noting that “sometimes it’s hard to stop and say, ‘This is it, we’re not doing anything.'”
The United States has deployed at least 13 warships to the Middle East, including the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, nine destroyers and three light frigates. More are on their way to the region.
Meanwhile, the world's largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, is sailing across the Atlantic toward the Gulf, at the behest of President Trump in mid-February, accompanied by three destroyers.
The simultaneous presence of two US aircraft carriers in the Middle East is rare and was last seen in June, when bombing raids were ordered on three key Iranian nuclear facilities as part of a 12-day conflict initiated by Israel.
In addition to naval forces, the US military has deployed a large number of aircraft in the region or at nearby bases with sufficient range, according to information and the specialized website FlightRadar24.
These include F-22 low-visibility fighter jets, F-15 and F-16 multi-role fighter jets, E3 Sentry early warning and control aircraft, transport and aerial refueling aircraft.
The US has deployed tens of thousands of troops to bases across the region, some of which could be considered vulnerable in the event of Iranian retaliation.
Donald Trump has stepped up his threats after the bloody crackdown on mass protests in Iran in January, which, according to human rights groups, killed thousands of people.
In late January, he announced he was sending an "armada" to the Persian Gulf and last week warned that Tehran would face "traumatic" consequences if it did not reach a deal, leaving open the possibility of regime change for the first time publicly.
Despite the threats, the diplomatic path has not been closed. The US and Iran resumed indirect talks on February 6 in Muscat, Oman, with a second round taking place near Geneva.
Tehran has talked about an agreement on a "set of guidelines," but US Vice President JD Vance has stressed that Iran does not accept some of the Trump administration's "red lines."
The two sides are "still far apart on some issues," said White House spokeswoman Caroline Levitt, adding that "Iran would do well to make a deal."
