Can Trump's Middle East strategy avert military confrontation with Iran?
The US and Iran are not on the brink of war just yet. But Washington is racing against the clock to rein in Tehran’s nuclear program before China can invade Taiwan — and before Israel tries to do the job alone.
This is an excerpt from Al-Monitor Security, a weekly newsletter covering defense and conflict developments in the Middle East. To get Al-Monitor Security in your inbox, sign up here.
WASHINGTON — The US military is carrying out a massive buildup of forces in the Middle East, seeming to back up Trump's clear public threat on Sunday that Iran would experience "bombing the likes of which they have never seen before" if its leaders do not reach a negotiated deal over its nuclear program.
The Pentagon is deploying a formidable array of assets, including two US Navy aircraft carrier strike groups, two additional Patriot air defense batteries, a THAAD ballistic missile defense system and more fighter squadrons — among them, stealth capable F-35s.
At least six Air Force B-2 strategic bombers along with several C-17 cargo planes and KC-135 refueling tankers have been deployed so far to the British-controlled island of Diego Garcia in the southern Maldives, just over 2,600 nautical miles from central Iran, within striking range.
