The US is steadily massing warplanes and ships around Iran, giving President Trump the ability to launch the biggest air campaign in the region since the 2003 Iraq invasion—if he chooses to pull the trigger. F-35s, F-22s, and other fighters have been sent to bases in Jordan and Saudi Arabia, command-and-control aircraft are arriving in the Middle East, and a second aircraft carrier strike group is headed in, reports the Wall Street Journal. The buildup is designed to allow not just a single strike, but potentially weeks of sustained bombing against Iran's nuclear facilities, missile sites, and possibly even its leadership. Trump has been told the US will be ready for potential strikes as soon as Saturday, per CBS News. On Thursday, he suggested that Iran has 10 days to strike a deal.
Washington and Tehran are still talking: negotiators met in Geneva this week, and the White House says there's been "a little bit of progress," though major gaps remain. Trump, who reportedly wants Iran to stop enriching uranium and dismantle its ballistic missiles, has been briefed on options ranging from limited strikes on nuclear and missile targets to a broader campaign aimed at crippling the regime and its regional proxies. Some allies, notably Israel, are urging him to use the military pressure to drive a tougher deal. Iran, which retains a large missile arsenal and the ability to threaten the key oil shipping lane of the Strait of Hormuz, is seen as stalling in hopes a future US president will take a different line, per the Journal.
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
