WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump holds the option for military action against Iran starting this weekend. Administration and Pentagon officials confirmed the US military buildup in the Middle East now supports strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites, ballistic missiles and launch facilities.

Trump has offered no signal on his next move. Forces assembled this week even as Iran and the US held indirect discussions in Geneva on Feb. 17. Iranian officials requested two weeks to develop detailed diplomatic proposals.

The president demands Iran dismantle its nuclear program entirely, including a halt to uranium enrichment. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urges strikes to curb Iran’s missile threats against Israel. Israeli forces raised alert levels weeks ago. Their security Cabinet advanced a meeting from Feb. 19 to Feb. 15, two Israeli defense officials said.

US officials doubt a deal with Tehran will materialize. Iran’s foreign minister described the Geneva talks as yielding ‘guiding principles.’ American counterparts noted progress but stressed wide gaps persist. Trump has warned repeatedly of dire consequences absent compliance.

Such an operation would mark the second major US assault on Iran in eight months. Last June’s 12-day war with Israel targeted military and nuclear installations across the country. Trump then claimed Iran’s nuclear program stood ‘obliterated’ after hitting three sites. Current aims appear narrower and less defined, officials said.

Pentagon deployments include over 50 extra fighter jets, dozens of refueling tankers and two carrier strike groups with destroyers, cruisers and submarines. The USS Gerald R. Ford, recently in the Caribbean pressuring Venezuela’s former leader Nicolás Maduro, neared Gibraltar on Feb. 18 en route to link with the USS Abraham Lincoln.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt emphasized diplomacy on Feb. 18. ‘The president has always been very clear… diplomacy is always his first option,’ she said. ‘He’s always thinking about what’s in the best interest of the United States, our military and the American people.’

In Israel, preparations advance for a potential joint operation with the US, the two defense officials said. Planners aim for multi-day blows to compel Iranian concessions. Targets could span short- and medium-range missiles, storage depots, nuclear facilities and Major Guard headquarters. Trump holds final say on scope, US officials noted.

Defensive upgrades followed Trump’s January threats tied initially to Iran’s protest crackdown, later shifting to nuclear demands. Troops numbered 30,000 to 40,000 across eight bases but lacked air defenses. Hardware from two decades of regional wars had largely withdrawn.

Recent months brought Patriot and THAAD systems to counter ballistic missiles. One military official said US forces, allies and assets can now withstand short-term retaliation. Sustaining a broader conflict remains uncertain.

Flight data and officials confirm F-35s, F-22s and F-16s streaming from the US via Europe. Refuelers support extended campaigns. The Ford and escorts may reach the Mediterranean by early next week, positioned off Israel to shield Tel Aviv and other areas. Carriers feature strong defenses; rapidly moving ones prove hard to strike with ballistic missiles, a military official said Feb. 18.

B-2 bombers, deployed against Iran in 2025, sit at higher readiness alongside other long-range assets. Senior advisors caution operations cannot assure regime change. Trump’s January strike delay stemmed from Pentagon unreadiness warnings, two administration officials said. That pause aided US preparations but let Iran bolster defenses, said Johns Hopkins Iran expert Vali Nasr. ‘Diplomacy may give the US more time… but it also gives Iran more time to plan its retaliation,’ he added.