The US military is preparing for the possibility of a sustained, weeks-long operation against Iran if President Trump orders an attack on the country, Reuters has reported, as the US continues to build up its forces in the region.
The report, which cited two unnamed US officials, said a US attack on Iran could lead to a far more serious conflict than the two countries have seen before. All signs indicate that Iran wouldn’t hold back or give the US notice in advance of a counterattack as it did during the 12-Day War after the US bombed its nuclear facilities.
President Trump has continued his threats against Iran despite Washington and Tehran now engaging in negotiations, which are set to resume on Tuesday in Geneva. Trump said on Friday that regime change in Iran would be “the best thing that could happen.”
The New York Times reported that Trump is considering a range of military options against Iran, including strikes on its nuclear facilities, attacks meant to hurt its ability to launch missiles, and even the possibility of sending US commandos into the country. US officials acknowledged to the Times that taking out Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would be much more difficult than the attack on Venezuela to kidnap President Nicolas Maduro.
If Iran is attacked and believes it faces an existential threat, it could unleash its missiles on US bases and warships in the region, a scenario that would inflict a massive number of American casualties.
To prepare for Iranian counterattacks, the US has reportedly been deploying additional Patriot missile systems and an additional THAAD air defense battery to its bases in the Middle East. During the 12-Day War, the US used about 20% of all of its THAAD interceptors defending Israel from attacks, and missiles still got through.
The US has also reportedly ordered the deployment of a second aircraft carrier to the region, the USS Gerald Ford, which has been operating in the Caribbean since November as part of “Operation Southern Spear,” the US military operation that’s involved bombing small boats accused of running drugs and attacking Venezuela.
According to Fox News reporter Trey Yingst, 150 US C-17 and C-5 transport planes have flown into the Middle East over the past month, and US fighter jets have been repositioned to regional countries.
