Trump briefed on multiple Iran strike options as more US forces move into region

U.S. military units continue to arrive in the Middle East, as the USS Gerald Ford aircraft carrier is expected to enter the Mediterranean Sea later this week, according to USNI News. 

The force buildup is happening concurrently with U.S. attempts to negotiate a deal with Iran regarding its nuclear program, and possibly other issues, such as the Islamic Republic’s ballistic missile program and its support for regional terror proxies. 

The USS Gerald Ford is the most advanced aircraft carrier in the U.S. Navy and the largest ever built. The carrier is able to carry more than 75 aircraft, including F-35C Lightning II stealth fighters and F/A-18F Super Hornets, as well as EA-18G Growler radar-jamming jets, which would be instrumental in carrying out any air missions into Iran from the carrier. 

The New York Times reported Wednesday that the USS Ford is likely to be deployed first to the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Israel to aid Israeli air defenses in the event of an Iranian retaliation. 

The significant military buildup by the U.S., which also includes a fleet of aerial refueling tankers, has led to a wave of speculation in both news media and social media, as analysts attempt to predict whether President Donald Trump will initiate military action against the Islamic Republic of Iran, or whether he is merely attempting to use the force buildup as leverage in the ongoing negotiations. 

Ahead of the most recent round of negotiations in Geneva, Switzerland, Iran temporarily closed the Straits of Hormuz, through which about 20% of the world’s oil shipments pass. While the Islamic Republic claimed it was part of a prescheduled military drill, some analysts saw it as an attempt by Iran to apply some leverage of its own, demonstrating that it has the ability to close one of the world’s most important waterways. 

Atlantic Council fellow Alex Plitsas told The New York Post that the U.S. force buildup is unprecedented. 

“What we have amassed is an unprecedented size combination of land-based attack aircraft, command and control and sea-based platforms,” he said. “We haven’t seen a buildup like this in this region in decades.” 

Plitsas said the large force buildup would allow the U.S. the option to conduct sustained campaigns against Iran, if President Trump so chooses. 

“The military footprint tells us that that option is quite large,” he said. “This is sufficient firepower for a sustained and very large air and naval strike campaign.” 

However, he cautioned against drawing incorrect conclusions from the significant military presence. 

“The only thing that any of this tells us for sure is the range of options on the table and what’s in and what’s out,” Plitsas said. 

President Trump has been briefed on various military options should he choose to strike, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday. U.S. officials who spoke to the Journal said the strike options presented were all designed to weaken the Iranian regime and its regional proxies. Another White House official told the Journal that the president hasn’t yet decided whether to strike Iran, but national security advisers discussed various options in a meeting on Wednesday. 

If the decision to strike is made, the primary targets are likely to include Iranian air defense systems and its retaliatory strike capabilities, such as its ballistic missile launchers. 

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that President Trump continues to prefer a diplomatic option. 

“The president has always been very clear, though, with respect to Iran or any country around the world, diplomacy is always his first option, and Iran would be very wise to make a deal with President Trump and with this administration,” Leavitt told reporters on Wednesday. 

“He’s always thinking about what’s in the best interest of the United States of America, of our military, of the American people, and that’s how he makes decisions with respect to military action,” she added.