WASHINGTON, Feb 14 (Reuters) – The U.S. navy is getting ready for the potential for sustained, weeks-long operations towards Iran if President Donald Trump orders an assault, two U.S. officers informed Reuters, in what may turn into a much more serious battle than previously seen between the international locations.
The disclosure by the officers, who spoke on situation of anonymity because of the delicate nature of the planning, raises the stakes for the diplomacy underway between the USA and Iran.
U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Okushner will hold negotiations with Iran on Tuesday in Geneva, with representatives from Oman performing as mediators. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio cautioned on Saturday that whereas Trump’s desire was to achieve a cope with Tehran, “that’s very laborious to do.”
In the meantime, Trump has amassed navy forces within the area, elevating fears of recent navy motion. U.S. officers stated on Friday the Pentagon was sending an additional aircraft carrier to the Center East, including thousands extra troops together with fighter plane, guided-missile destroyers and different firepower able to waging assaults and defending towards them.
Trump, speaking on Friday after a navy occasion at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, brazenly floated the potential for altering the federal government in Iran, saying it “looks as if that might be the very best factor that might occur.” He declined to share who he needed to take over Iran, however stated, “there are individuals.”
“For 47 years, they’ve been speaking and speaking and speaking,” Trump stated.
Trump has lengthy voiced skepticism about sending floor troops into Iran, saying final yr, “the last thing you want to do is ground forces,” and the sorts of U.S. firepower arrayed within the Center East thus far recommend choices for strikes primarily by air and naval forces. In Venezuela, Trump demonstrated a willingness to rely additionally on particular operations forces to grab that nation’s president, Nicolas Maduro, in a raid final month.
Requested for touch upon the preparations for a probably sustained U.S. navy operation, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly stated: “President Trump has all choices on the desk with regard to Iran.”
“He listens to quite a lot of views on any given difficulty, however makes the ultimate determination primarily based on what’s finest for our nation and nationwide safety,” Kelly stated.
The Pentagon declined to remark.
The US despatched two plane carriers to the area final yr, when it carried out strikes towards Iranian nuclear websites.
Nonetheless, June’s “Midnight Hammer” operation was basically a one-off U.S. assault, with stealth bombers flying from the USA to strike Iranian nuclear amenities. Iran staged a really restricted retaliatory strike on a U.S. base in Qatar.
Dangers rising
The planning underneath manner this time is extra advanced, the officers stated.
In a sustained marketing campaign, the U.S. navy may hit Iranian state and safety amenities, not just nuclear infrastructure, one of many officers stated. The official declined to offer particular particulars.
Consultants say the dangers to U.S. forces can be far larger in such an operation towards Iran, which boasts a formidable arsenal of missiles. Retaliatory Iranian strikes additionally improve the danger of a regional battle.
The identical official stated the USA absolutely anticipated Iran to retaliate, resulting in back-and-forth strikes and reprisals over time.
The White House and Pentagon didn’t reply to questions in regards to the dangers of retaliation or regional battle.
Trump has repeatedly threatened to bomb Iran over its nuclear and ballistic missile applications and crushing of internal dissent. On Thursday, he warned the choice to a diplomatic resolution would “be very traumatic, very traumatic.”
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has warned that in case of strikes on Iranian territory, it may retaliate towards any U.S. navy base.
The U.S. maintains bases all through the Center East, together with in Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met Trump for talks in Washington on Wednesday, saying that if an settlement with Iran have been reached, “it must embrace the weather which are important to Israel.”
Iran has stated it’s ready to discuss curbs on its nuclear program in alternate for lifting sanctions, however has dominated out linking the difficulty to missiles.
On Saturday, Iranian opposition determine Reza Pahlavi stated U.S. navy intervention in Iran may save lives and urged Washington to not spend too lengthy negotiating with Tehran’s clerical rulers on a nuclear deal.
The exiled son of Iran’s toppled shah informed Reuters in an interview there have been indicators that the Iranian authorities was on the point of collapse and that an assault may weaken it or speed up its fall.
“We hope that this assault will expedite the method and the individuals might be lastly again within the streets and take all of it the best way to the last word regime’s downfall,” stated Pahlavi, who relies in the USA and has lived outdoors Iran since earlier than his father was toppled within the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
(Reporting by Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali; Modifying by Don Durfee, Rosalba O’Brien, Rod Nickel)
