The United States is ready to strike Iran and is waiting for Trump's decision. What the media is writing
- Новости
- World
- The United States is ready to strike Iran and is waiting for Trump's decision. What the media is writing
The US military is preparing to launch attacks on Iranian territory in the coming days. The Middle East is receiving more and more warships and aircraft necessary for combat operations. At the same time, preparations are underway in Israel for possible military action. However, US President Donald Trump, after holding a meeting with his closest advisers, did not make a final decision. What the media write about a possible conflict is in the Izvestia digest.
CNN: The United States is ready to strike Iran this weekend.
Sources familiar with the situation told CNN that the US military is ready to strike Iran as early as next weekend, on February 21 and 22. The White House was informed of this after a significant build-up of air and naval forces in the Middle East in recent days. However, one of the sources warned that US President Donald Trump had privately spoken out for and against military action, and had also interviewed advisers and allies about which course of action would be best.
CNN
On Wednesday [February 18], a meeting of senior administration officials on national security issues was held at the White House situation center, where the situation in Iran was discussed, a source familiar with the meeting said. On Wednesday, Trump also received information from Special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner about the indirect talks with Iran that took place a day earlier. It is unclear whether Trump will make a decision by the weekend.
Vague statements from the administration have fueled growing fears of a military conflict between the two countries, even as officials appear to hold out hope for diplomacy. The aircraft carrier USS Gerald Ford, the most advanced aircraft carrier group in the US arsenal, could arrive in the region as early as this weekend after a series of other military build—up activities. According to sources familiar with the situation, US Air Force forces based in the UK, including tanker aircraft and fighter jets, are being relocated closer to Iran.
The New York Times: the US military has taken up positions for possible strikes on Iran
According to US officials, the US military buildup around Iran includes dozens of tanker aircraft promptly deployed to the region by the US Central Command, more than 50 additional fighter jets and two aircraft carrier strike groups with escorting destroyers, cruisers and submarines. The aircraft carrier USS Gerald Ford, which had just returned from the Caribbean, was approaching Gibraltar on February 18.
The New York Times
"The president has always been very clear that with regard to Iran or any other country in the world, diplomacy is always a priority for him, and it would be very wise for Iran to make a deal with President Trump and with this administration," White House spokeswoman Caroline Leavitt said on Wednesday. "He always thinks about what is in the interests of the United States of America, our armed forces, and the American people, and that's how he makes decisions about military action," she added.
In Israel, two representatives of the Ministry of Defense said that active preparations are underway for the possibility of a joint strike with the United States, although the decision to carry out such an attack has not yet been made. According to them, the planning involves launching a serious strike within a few days in order to force Iran to make concessions at the negotiating table, which it has not been ready for so far. The military buildup points to a range of possible targets for Iran, including short- and medium-range missiles, missile depots, nuclear facilities, and other military targets such as the headquarters of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Axios: Trump meets with top advisers on Iran amid growing threat of war
Trump has called his top advisers to a meeting about the Iran crisis. He was informed about the nuclear talks held earlier this week in Geneva, and the group discussed further steps. Sources say that the US military operation in Iran is likely to be a large, multi-week campaign that will look more like a full-scale war than the targeted operation in Venezuela conducted last month.
Axios
One American official said the Iranians needed to submit a package of measures to the Trump administration by the end of the month that would address the concerns expressed by the United States in Geneva about their nuclear program. "The Iranian Foreign Minister said a lot of positive things to Kushner and Witkoff, but the devil is in the details. Now the ball is on Iran's side, let's see what happens next," the official said.
A second U.S. official expressed deep skepticism and said the Geneva talks were "nothing." According to US officials, the arrival of the aircraft carrier USS Gerald Ford and its strike group in the Eastern Mediterranean in the coming days will be a key factor in determining the timing of a possible military campaign against Iran. According to the American official, Secretary of State Marco Rubio also plans to visit Israel at the end of the month for talks on Iran.
Reuters: Satellite images show how Iran is fortifying its facilities
Satellite images show that Iran recently built a concrete shield over a new facility at an important military training ground and covered it with earth. This indicates the progress of work at the facility, which was reportedly bombed by Israel in 2024 amid tensions with the United States. The images also show that Iran has sealed up the tunnel entrances at a nuclear facility bombed by the United States during Israel's 12-day war with Iran last year, reinforced tunnel entrances next to another facility, and repaired missile bases.
Reuters
About 30 km southeast of Tehran is the Parchin complex, one of Iran's most important military installations. Western intelligence services suggest that Tehran conducted nuclear bomb tests there more than two decades ago. Satellite images taken before and after the attack show significant damage to a rectangular building in Parchin, and the images from November 6, 2024 show its reconstruction. The images from October 12, 2025 show construction on the site: the frame of a new structure and two smaller structures next to it are visible.
About 10 km south of Shiraz in southern Iran is one of the 25 main bases capable of launching intermediate-range ballistic missiles. The facility suffered minor damage above ground during last year's war. A comparison of the images taken on July 3, 2025 and January 30 shows that work is underway to restore and clear the territory of the main logistics and, probably, the command post at the base.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
