U.S. Military Buildup in Middle East Signals Preparation for Potential Conflict with Iran
WASHINGTON — The Defense Department is rapidly increasing its military presence in the Middle East, deploying additional warships, air defenses, and submarines, as preparations mount for a possible military strike on Iran, U.S. Officials have confirmed. The buildup occurs as diplomatic efforts to avert a conflict continue, though prospects for a breakthrough appear increasingly remote.
The escalating tensions come as the Trump administration demands Iran agree to restrictions on both its nuclear program and its ballistic missile development – a condition Tehran has so far rejected. Top national security advisors convened in the White House Situation Room on Wednesday to discuss the situation, though no final decisions regarding military action have been made, according to a senior administration official. The U.S. Is currently awaiting a written response from Iran addressing outstanding disagreements.
The USS Gerald R. Ford, one of the world’s largest aircraft carriers, is currently en route to the Middle East, crossing the Atlantic Ocean and expected to arrive in the Mediterranean Sea in the coming days. It will join the USS Abraham Lincoln and its accompanying strike group already stationed in the Persian Gulf, according to U.S. Officials. A nuclear submarine is also currently operating in the Mediterranean.
Currently, the U.S. Has 13 warships in the Middle East: one aircraft carrier – the USS Abraham Lincoln – nine destroyers, and three littoral combat ships, with more on the way. This represents approximately one-third of the U.S. Navy’s actively deployed fleet, a significant concentration of naval power.
The presence of two aircraft carrier strike groups allows the U.S. To potentially conduct an attack on Iran without relying on aircraft stationed in Arab Gulf states, which have expressed concerns about potential retaliation from Iran’s missile arsenal and have indicated they would not allow offensive operations to launch from their territories.
It remains unclear whether any potential attack on Iran would be a solely U.S. Military operation or conducted in conjunction with the Israeli military. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to travel to Israel on February 28 to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to provide an update on the ongoing negotiations, according to a State Department official. Netanyahu recently visited Washington and expressed concerns about the status of the talks.
The current situation echoes the military buildup that preceded a U.S. Aerial attack in June against three nuclear sites in Iran, which involved the deployment of two carriers to the Arabian Sea. That operation, dubbed “Operation Midnight Hammer,” lasted less than 30 minutes, according to the Pentagon. A potential future attack could be more sustained, particularly if the goal is to inflict lasting damage on the Iranian regime.
President Trump has publicly stated a range of options, including a full-scale attack to topple the regime, limited strikes to prevent Iran from rebuilding its nuclear facilities and targeting ballistic missile sites, or taking no action at all. Israeli officials reportedly urged Trump in December to strike Iran’s ballistic missile sites.
Potential targets could include Iran’s air defense systems, which were damaged in a conflict with Israel in June, ballistic missile depots and launchers, drone manufacturing plants, and bases used by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Basij militia – both of which played a role in suppressing recent protests. More covert actions and “decapitation” strikes targeting Iranian leadership, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, are also possibilities.
One key site, Kūh-e Kolang Gaz Lā, also known as Pickaxe Mountain, an underground facility near Natanz, could also be a target. Construction work at this site, which was not targeted in the June air war, has reportedly resumed.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt acknowledged Wednesday that “some progress” had been made in recent indirect talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, facilitated by Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner in Geneva. However, she also emphasized that “there are still a lot of details to discuss.”
The U.S. Military buildup is occurring as Iran has flexed its own military muscle while simultaneously engaging in diplomacy. Iranian state media reported Tuesday that parts of the Strait of Hormuz would temporarily close for “security precautions” during military drills conducted by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Iranian officials have repeatedly warned they would block the vital shipping lane, which handles approximately 20% of the world’s oil supply, if attacked.
Experts suggest that the U.S. May need to deploy even more assets to the region to effectively pursue regime change, including additional air defense capabilities. The situation carries significant implications for American credibility and could impact the trust of the Iranian people, according to regional analysts.
Leavitt reiterated that diplomacy remains President Trump’s preferred option, stating, “Iran would be very wise to make a deal with President Trump and with this administration.”
