The United States Armed Forces is prepared to launch strikes on Iran as early as this weekend, though President Donald Trump has not taken a final decision on whether to authorise military action, CNN has reported, citing sources.
The White House has been informed that the military could be ready to act by the weekend, following a significant buildup of air and naval assets in the Middle East in recent days. However, one source noted that Trump has privately weighed both the advantages and risks of military intervention and has consulted advisers and allies on the best course of action, the report added.
Senior national security officials met on Wednesday in the White House Situation Room to review developments related to Iran, a person familiar with the meeting said. Trump was also briefed the same day by special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son in law Jared Kushner regarding indirect talks with Iran that had taken place a day earlier. It remains unclear whether the president will reach a decision by the weekend.
Lingering US-Iran talks
Negotiators from Iran and the United States exchanged written messages for three and a half hours during indirect talks in Geneva on Tuesday, but the discussions ended without a clear breakthrough.
Iranโs chief negotiator said the two sides had agreed on a “set of guiding principles,”ย while a US official noted that “there are still a lot of details to discuss.”ย Karoline Leavitt, press secretary at the White House, said on Wednesday that Iran was expected to provide further clarity on its negotiating position โin the next couple of weeks.โ She declined to say whether President Donald Trump would refrain from military action during that period.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to travel to Israel on February 28 for talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and to brief him on the status of the Iran negotiations.
US ramps up military buildup in Middle East
The attack plan reort comes in the wake of increasing US military buildup in the Midddle East. More than 50 fighter jets have been dsipactched to the region.
The aircraftย fleet is said to have include F 22, F 35 and F 16 fighter jets, along with multiple aerial refuelling tankers, indicating preparations for sustained operations. Social media accounts tracking military aviation activity also reported the movements. A
US official told Axios that more than 50 fighter jets had been positioned in the region within a single day.
Also read:ย US deploys 50 fighter jets including F-22s, F-16s to Middle East, second carrier strike group enroute