President Donald Trump has directed the US military to prepare for possible strikes on Iran as he considers whether to authorise a renewed campaign.
Several days ago, the Pentagon told US Central Command to finish its preparations for a return to major combat operations in Iran. The instruction gave no date for an attack, and Trump has not reached a final decision.
The order follows a halt in US-Iran negotiations. Qatari mediators are awaiting Tehran's response to a US counterproposal containing nuclear demands, and efforts to negotiate an end to the war have reached another impasse.
If planned deployments coincide, the US could have three aircraft carrier strike groups and two amphibious groups available in the Middle East.
Approximately 50,000 US troops are already stationed in the Middle East. A White House official said the Pentagon controls the Strait of Hormuz and that Iran's economy is collapsing.
Trump spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, in their second call in days after weeks with little contact. Netanyahu had first met his national security team to discuss Iran.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Netanyahu on Monday.
On Friday, Vice President JD Vance chaired a several-hour Camp David meeting with senior national security officials. Rubio, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and CIA Director John Ratcliffe were among those present as the administration discussed Iran and other security issues.
An Israeli official told Axios that the possible return of major combat operations in Iran was among the matters discussed. Rubio said afterwards that the meeting dealt with 'long-term' foreign policy planning.
A comparable meeting of senior Trump administration officials was held at Camp David days before Israel went to war with Iran.
The Pentagon has offered plans for the period after the elections, from limited attacks to a wider campaign that could bring further strikes on Iran's energy industry. Any resumed campaign is expected to involve heavy bombing of energy facilities, infrastructure and nuclear sites, most likely with US and Israeli forces acting together.
US and Israeli sources said strikes could take place before the US midterm elections. A second Israeli official put the prospect before the vote at low, though possible, and said the chance would be significantly higher after the election.
Israeli officials have warned that Iran's leadership could move first after two surprise attacks. They assess that Iran would probably respond with large-scale missile fire against Israel.
Some presidential advisers want to wait until after the vote because renewed fighting, particularly if US troops were killed, could damage Republican candidates. Administration officials have also connected the planning to Trump's wish to show progress in the conflict and address high gasoline prices before the election.
Nuclear enrichment remains at the centre of the stalled talks. Vance said any agreement would require concrete cuts to Iran's enrichment capacity.
“If you don't want a nuclear weapon, then why do you need 60% enriched fuel? And if you want to show commitment to not building a nuclear weapon, don't build highly enriched fuel. That's a very basic threshold issue,” Vance told Reuters.
A senior Iranian official told Reuters that Washington's nuclear demands conflicted with Tehran's position. Recognition of Iran's right to enrichment remained a red line, the official said.
Trump has yet to decide whether to authorise strikes. The timing, targets and scale of any action remain under consideration.
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