Since then, there has been a slow, steady, and significant build-up of US military forces in the region. The United States, the world’s most powerful military power, has already demonstrated its ability to strike Iran. In June, Operation Midnight Hammer targeted Iran’s nuclear facilities, involving more than 100 aircraft, including B-2 stealth bombers flying from the United States to deliver precision-guided bunker-buster bombs — all without a loss.

The central question remains: is the US preparing to strike Iran again? President Trump’s latest social media posts appear to imply so, warning that unless Iran agrees to constrain its nuclear program, “the next attack will be far worse.” The US already maintains a substantial military footprint in the Middle East, with up to 50,000 personnel in the region, including roughly 10,000 at al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar. Additional bases are located in Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Bahrain. In recent weeks, open-source reporting has tracked scores of additional US aircraft arriving in the area.

Recent imagery from al-Udeid shows new structures at the base’s periphery. The Pentagon does not publish detailed movement logs, but social-media sources note arrivals of F-15s, refuelling tankers, and transport aircraft. Some transports are believed to have carried air-defence systems, suggesting preparations to defend Gulf allies against potential retaliation if Trump orders an attack. Britain has also deployed Typhoon jets to the region to bolster security. The US Air Force has announced Agile Spartan, a major exercise intended to demonstrate the deployment, dispersal, and sustainment of airpower across US Central Command’s area of responsibility.

Meanwhile, observers have tracked signals consistent with heightened vigilance, including reconnaissance and early-warning aircraft such as RC-135s, E-11A BACN, and E-3G Sentry. A US carrier strike group, centered on the USS Abraham Lincoln, has been ordered to the Gulf, presenting a formidable display of power. The strike group is equipped with Tomahawk missiles, advanced aircraft (including F-35s), and typically accompanied by a nuclear-powered submarine. Experts note that the US could target Iran’s military capabilities, including ballistic-missile capabilities and coastal batteries, or, less plausibly, the regime itself. As one analyst observes, decapitating leadership would be difficult and potentially destabilising. The balance between decisive action and broader risk remains a central consideration. While Trump has shown willingness to use force, he has also signalled openness to a diplomatic solution if Iran agrees to constrain its nuclear program. (BBC)