US military preparing for potentially weeks-long Iran operations as second carrier heads to Middle East
The aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford will join the Abraham Lincoln carrier, several guided-missile destroyers, fighter jets and surveillance aircraft that have been moved to the Middle East in recent weeks.
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WASHINGTON: The United States military is preparing for the possibility of sustained, weeks-long operations against Iran if President Donald Trump orders an attack, two US officials told Reuters, in what could become a far more serious conflict than previously seen between the countries.
The disclosure by the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the planning, raises the stakes for the diplomacy underway between the US and Iran.
US and Iranian diplomats held talks in Oman last week in an effort to revive diplomacy over Tehran's nuclear programme, after Trump amassed military forces in the region, raising fears of new military action.
US officials said on Friday (Feb 13) the Pentagon was sending an additional aircraft carrier to the Middle East, adding thousands more troops along with fighter aircraft, guided-missile destroyers and other firepower capable of waging attacks and defending against them.
The carrier Gerald R. Ford will join the Abraham Lincoln carrier, several guided-missile destroyers, fighter jets and surveillance aircraft that have been moved to the Middle East in recent weeks.
The Gerald R. Ford, the US' newest and the world's largest carrier, has been operating in the Caribbean with its escort ships and took part in operations in Venezuela earlier this year.
Trump, speaking to US troops on Friday at a base in North Carolina, said it had "been difficult to make a deal" with Iran.
"Sometimes you have to have fear. That's the only thing that really will get the situation taken care of," Trump said.
Asked if he wanted regime change in Iran, Trump responded that it "seems like that would be the best thing that could happen."
He declined to share who he wanted to take over Iran, but said "there are people".
"For 47 years, they've been talking and talking and talking," he added. "In the meantime, we've lost a lot of lives while they talk. Legs blown off, arms blown off, faces blown off. We've been going on for a long time."
The US targeted Iran's nuclear facilities in strikes last year and when asked what was left to be targeted at the nuclear sites, Trump said the "dust".
He added: "If we do it, that would be the least of the mission, but we probably grab whatever is left."
Asked for comment on the preparations for a potentially sustained US military operation, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said: "President Trump has all options on the table with regard to Iran."
"He listens to a variety of perspectives on any given issue, but makes the final decision based on what is best for our country and national security," Kelly said.
The Pentagon declined to comment.
RISKS INCREASING
The planning underway this time is more complex, the officials said.
In a sustained campaign, the US military could hit Iranian state and security facilities, not just nuclear infrastructure, one of the officials said. The official declined to provide specific detail.
Experts say the risks to US forces would be far greater in such an operation against Iran, which boasts a formidable arsenal of missiles. Retaliatory Iranian strikes also increase the risk of a regional conflict.
The same official said the US fully expected Iran to retaliate, leading to back-and-forth strikes and reprisals over a period of time.
The White House and Pentagon did not respond to questions about the risks of retaliation or regional conflict.
Washington wants nuclear talks with Iran to also cover the country's ballistic missiles, support for armed groups around the region and the treatment of the Iranian people.
Iran has said it is prepared to discuss curbs on its nuclear program in exchange for lifting sanctions, but has ruled out linking the issue to missiles.
Trump has threatened strikes on Iran if no agreement is reached and on Thursday, he warned the alternative to a diplomatic solution would "be very traumatic, very traumatic".
Tehran has vowed to retaliate, stoking fears of a wider war as the US amasses forces in the Middle East.
The US maintains military bases throughout the Middle East, including in Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.
The US sent two aircraft carriers to the region last year, when it carried out strikes against Iranian nuclear sites.
However, last June's "Midnight Hammer" operation was essentially a one-off US attack, with stealth bombers flying from the US to strike Iranian nuclear facilities, while Iran staged a very limited retaliatory strike on a US base in Qatar.
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