LONDON, February 20. /TASS/. The United States has deployed 39 aerial refueling tankers and 29 heavy military transport aircraft, including Boeing C-17 Globemaster III cargo planes closer to the potential conflict zone in the Middle East over three days, the Financial Times reported.

The US Air Force has also dispatched an AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) radar aircraft to the Middle East, the paper said.

According to Becca Wasser, a military strategy analyst at the Washington-based Center for a New American Security, the United States has deployed a grouping in the region necessary to carry out a prolonged military campaign. The troop buildup pace is not an empty threat, she emphasized.

The United States considers delivering a limited strike on Iranian military and government facilities to make Iran agree to a nuclear deal on terms favorable for Washington while avoiding a full-scale attack, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing sources. According to the sources, the strike can be delivered within several days. The US-based CBS TV Network reports that the operation may begin as early as February 21.

A second round of US-Iran nuclear talks brokered by Oman took place in Geneva on February 17. Iran’s Foreign Ministry stated that the sides had reached a mutual understanding on some issues that may be included in a new draft agreement. Washington stated that the consultations had passed well but Tehran was yet unready to recognize some positions outlined by the White House. Earlier, the United States and Israel insisted that Iran should give up both its nuclear program and ballistic missile production, as well as its support for pro-Iranian forces in the Middle East.