United States: Axios, citing multiple sources, says Washington is nearing a potential major military operation against Iran, and that escalation could begin soon. According to those sources, the operation would not resemble a limited strike, but rather a sustained campaign lasting weeks, with broad regional consequences.
Axios notes that the most discussed scenario inside policy circles is a joint U.S.-Israeli effort broader in scope and more existential for Iran’s leadership than previous rounds of escalation. The report adds that a war of this scale would reshape the regional environment and carry major implications for the remaining years of Trump’s presidency.
Axios argues that public debate in the United States remains limited despite the stakes, with Congress and the public focused elsewhere, even as the outcome could become the most consequential U.S. military intervention in the Middle East in at least a decade.
On the diplomatic track, Axios reports that Trump advisers Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff met Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Geneva for roughly three hours. While both sides described the talks as making progress, Axios says U.S. officials are not optimistic the major gaps can be closed quickly.
Axios adds that U.S. officials said Iran needs to return within two weeks with a detailed proposal. The report frames this deadline as occurring alongside a massive U.S. military build-up, which has raised expectations inside the administration about what any operation could look like if diplomacy fails.
On the military posture, Axios says the U.S. force package now includes two aircraft carriers, a dozen warships, hundreds of fighter jets, and multiple air defence systems, with some assets still en route. The outlet reports that more than 150 U.S. military cargo flights have moved weapons systems and ammunition to the Middle East, and that an additional 50 fighter jets—including F-35s, F-22s, and F-16s—headed to the region in the past 24 hours.
Axios also reports that Israel is preparing for a scenario of war “within days,” according to two Israeli officials cited by the outlet, while U.S. sources are split on timing—some indicating more time is needed, others suggesting a shorter runway.
Source
Axios.
