ISLAMABAD: The United States has bolstered its military presence in the Middle East in recent days ahead of what Israeli media reports describe as "preparations for a potential joint US-Israeli military campaign against Tehran."
Israeli outlets, including The Times of Israel, cited security sources as saying the emerging plan would likely go beyond limited, symbolic strikes and instead involve coordinated American and Israeli action. Sources quoted in the reports indicated the operation could surpass the scale of the 12-day Israeli-led bombing campaign carried out last June, the operation the US later joined under the codename Midnight Hammer, which targeted Iranian nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan.
According to the Israeli reports, the confrontation could begin sooner than many anticipate and may be far broader in scope than previous escalations.
US media echoes the same
It is not only the Israeli media; the US media have also echoed similar reports about a potential campaign against Iran.
CBS News was the first major American outlet to report on Wednesday that top national security officials have told President Donald Trump the military is ready for potential strikes on Iran as soon as Saturday.
CNN also reported on Thursday that the US military has been placed on high readiness to strike Iranian targets this weekend. Still, President Trump has not yet made a final call on authorizing military action.
But one source cautioned that Trump has privately argued both for and against military action and has polled advisers and allies on the best course of action, CNN said.
Military buildup and strategic posture
Over the past week, US military assets in the Middle East have increased. Reports indicate deployments include aircraft carrier strike groups, advanced fighter aircraft, aerial refueling tankers, and support units, a buildup reports describe as one of the most significant in the region in years.
The New York Post reported that President Trump is sending the USS Gerald R Ford, along with F-22 and F-35 fighter aircraft and refuelling tankers, toward the region. The naval news outlet US Naval Institute (USNI News) reported that the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and its strike group departed the Atlantic and were heading toward the Mediterranean via the Strait of Gibraltar.
BBC Verify said on Tuesday it has tracked 12 US ships in the Middle East in recent weeks, including destroyers positioned in Bahrain, the eastern Mediterranean near the Souda Bay base, and the Red Sea.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Tuesday posted on X, saying, "The US President constantly says that the US has sent a warship toward Iran. Of course, a warship is a dangerous piece of military hardware".
"However, more dangerous than that warship is the weapon that can send that warship to the bottom of the sea."
The USS Gerald R Ford and USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike groups, along with accompanying vessels, would provide both offensive and defensive capabilities if operations are authorized.
CBS also reported that the Pentagon is temporarily relocating some US personnel from parts of the Middle East, primarily to Europe or back to the United States, as a precautionary measure ahead of potential Iranian retaliation should military action proceed.
Diplomacy still in play
Despite the heightened military posture, there has been no public confirmation from the White House or Pentagon of an imminent strike order.
US officials have maintained that diplomatic engagement remains the preferred course. Indirect talks in Geneva between US negotiators and Iranian representatives concluded this week, with Iranian officials saying progress was made on broad principles, though significant differences remain.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said at a briefing on Wednesday that there are “many reasons and arguments that one could make for a strike against Iran,” but stressed that diplomacy remains President Trump’s first option.
“Iran would be very wise to make a deal with President Trump and with his administration,” she said.
As of Thursday, no formal declaration of military action had been issued by Washington, and the situation remains fluid.
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