US prepares for possible attack on Iran
According to Axios, the Pentagon has ordered preparations to be completed, but no decision has yet been taken on new attacks.
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According to Axios, the US military has been ordered to prepare for a possible resumption of large-scale combat operations against Iran. There is no concrete date for attacks, and President Donald Trump has reportedly not yet taken a final decision.
Axios reports, citing US officials, that the Pentagon instructed US Central Command several days ago to complete preparations for new operations against Iran. The order is said to focus primarily on military readiness and, according to the same sources, contains no set time for an attack.
The US and Israeli sources cited by Axios say that fighting could resume as early as before the US midterm elections. The Israeli elections, which according to Axios will be held a week earlier, could also play a role in the planning. That timeline has not been officially confirmed.
According to the sources cited by Axios, any operations could target Iranian energy facilities, infrastructure and nuclear sites. These are expectations expressed by anonymous officials, not a publicly released operational plan. The scale and purpose of any attack therefore remain undecided.
The reporting comes against the backdrop of an ongoing conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran. Associated Press reported on Wednesday that Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth awarded the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln a high military honour after dozens of days of combat operations as part of the US operation against Iran.
According to AP, the USS Abraham Lincoln is returning to San Diego after an exceptionally long deployment. US officials had previously told the news agency that a third aircraft carrier and thousands of troops could travel to the region later this month. That, too, does not prove that a new attack has been decided on, but it does point to continued military readiness.
The possible resumption of US attacks increases the risk of Iranian retaliation against US, Israeli or regional targets. Axios writes that Iran could be expected to respond to a new US attack with, among other things, ballistic missiles. That assessment is not the same as a confirmed Iranian threat.
For now, the main certainty is that Washington is keeping its military options open. The Pentagon and the White House have not announced any public decision on a new attack in the sources consulted. It therefore remains unclear whether the preparations are intended as deterrence, operational planning or preparation for actual military action.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- Axios reports that the Pentagon had preparations for possible new operations against Iran completed.
- According to that reporting, there is no set date and no publicly announced final decision by President Trump.
- AP confirms that US units remain active in the region and that additional deployment had previously been considered.
- The possible timing before elections comes from anonymous sources and has not been officially confirmed.
Left
Arguments A new attack without a clear mandate or diplomatic objective would expand the war and put civilians and regional stability at further risk. The United States should first pursue negotiations, international pressure and parliamentary oversight.
Values International law, restraint in the use of military force, civilian protection and democratic accountability.
Consequences Supporters fear more casualties, higher energy prices, new refugee flows and further radicalisation in the region.
Centre
Arguments Military preparation may be necessary to keep deterrence credible, but any attack should be tied to clear conditions, a legal framework and a workable political plan. Open communication with allies and Congress is essential.
Values Proportionality, institutional oversight, alliances and risk management.
Consequences This approach seeks both to prevent Iranian escalation and to reduce the chance that Washington becomes involved in a prolonged war.
Right
Arguments Iran must not be allowed to think that American restraint is unlimited. Credible military superiority and the willingness to use it could, in this view, protect US troops, Israel and regional partners.
Values National security, deterrence, strength and the protection of allies.
Consequences Supporters expect resolve to persuade Iran to scale back its nuclear and military capabilities, but acknowledge the risk of retaliation.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The article’s core is based directly on Axios and supplemented by AP for the military context. Unconfirmed scenarios are clearly attributed to anonymous sources and are not presented as established facts.
- confirmed Axios reports that the Pentagon instructed Central Command to complete preparations for new operations against Iran. — This appears in Axios’s reporting, based on US officials. source
- confirmed According to Axios, there is no set attack date and Trump has not yet taken a final decision. — Axios explicitly states that the directive contained no date and that Trump had not yet made a final decision. source
- confirmed The USS Abraham Lincoln is returning after a lengthy deployment in the war against Iran. — Associated Press describes the lengthy deployment and the return to San Diego. source
- uncertain A third aircraft carrier and thousands of troops could travel to the region later this month. — AP writes that US officials mentioned this as a possibility; it is not a settled decision. source
- uncertain New attacks could target energy facilities, infrastructure and nuclear sites. — This is an expectation expressed by anonymous sources cited by Axios, not a public operational plan. source
Editor's note
It is certain that Axios has reported an American order to prepare and that AP confirms the continuing US military deployment. The timing, targets and question of whether Trump will actually decide on new attacks remain uncertain.Sources
- Military ordered to be ready for possible Iran strikes as Trump weighs timing — Axios
- Third aircraft carrier and thousands of troops head to Mideast as Trump weighs new Iran strikes — Associated Press
- Hegseth visits the long-deployed USS Lincoln to bestow a top award before the ship returns home — Associated Press
More on this in Dutch media
- NRC — „iran verenigde staten”
- NU.nl — „iran verenigde staten”
- De Telegraaf — „iran verenigde staten”