WASHINGTON, February 20. /TASS/. The US naval group in the Middle East is awaiting the arrival of the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford and its accompanying warships to prepare for a possible strike on Iran, The Washington Post reported, citing officials.
According to the newspaper, the "US military leaders last week extended their deployment and ordered the ships to the region from the Caribbean Sea. The vessels were approaching the Strait of Gibraltar on Thursday, making an attack possible within days," said the sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Over the past few days, the US has deployed approximately 70 military cargo aircraft and approximately 50 fighter jets to the Middle East. One carrier strike group has been deployed in the Gulf of Oman, and a second will be stationed off the coast of Israel in the Mediterranean.
The United States is considering a limited strike on Iranian military and government facilities. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier citing sources that "President Trump is weighing an initial limited military strike on Iran to force it to meet his demands for a nuclear deal, a first step that would be designed to pressure Tehran into an agreement but fall short of a full-scale attack that could inspire a major retaliation." According to the sources, the assault "could come within days." "If Iran still refused to comply with Trump’s directive to end its nuclear enrichment, the US would respond with a broad campaign against regime facilities—potentially aimed at toppling the Tehran regime," the sources said.
On February 17, the second round of US-Iran nuclear talks, brokered by Oman, took place in Geneva. The Iranian Foreign Ministry announced a mutual understanding on a number of issues that could be included in the draft of a future agreement. Washington stated that the consultations went well, but Tehran is not yet ready to accept a number of positions outlined by the White House. Previously, the United States and Israel insisted that Iran renounce not only its nuclear program but also the production of ballistic missiles and its support of pro-Iranian forces in the Middle East.