Will US Strike Iran? Trump's Decision Pending Amid Military Buildup In Middle-East

Washington: The United States allegedly deployed a significant number of warships, fighter jets, and refueling aircraft to the Middle East on Thursday, amid reports of the US gearing up to strike Iran soon.

As the US threatens Iran with a military confrontation amid escalating tensions, it also continues to face global pressure to refrain from conducting a strike, especially after Trump's recent Venezuela conquest, leading to the question of how probable an US strike on Iran is, given the situation presently.

President Donald Trump has reportedly not made a final decision regarding an armed confrontation with Iran or its possible timeline yet, US national security officials told reporters. Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey and Oman had earlier urged Donald Trump not to launch airstrikes against Iran. Meanwhile, the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio plans to travel to Israel next week to update Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the U.S.-Iran nuclear talks.

While the US demands Iran dismantle its nuclear enrichment program, transfer enriched uranium stockpiles to a third country, curb ballistic missile programme, and halt support for Hezbollah and Houthis, Iran maintains that the talks must be limited to guarantees about the civilian purpose of its nuclear programme. However the scope of the talks should not extend to its missile program, its support of regional proxy groups or its own human rights abuses.

Trump has repeatedly threatened Tehran with military action if ongoing talks do not pave the way for a replacement for the nuclear deal that the US president had ended in 2018, during his first term in office. Trump had issued a warning to Iran earlier this year in the aftermath of a crackdown on anti-government protests, which left thousands of protesters dead in January 2026.

A recent Quinnipiac University survey showed that even within the US, at least 70 percent of voters said they think the US should not get involved militarily in Iran, with 18 per cent saying the US should take military action.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned that any new ⁠US strike ⁠on Iran would have serious consequences. "The consequences are not good. There have already been strikes on Iran on nuclear sites under the control of the International Atomic Energy Agency. From what we can judge, there were real risks of a nuclear incident, ” Lavrov said in a recent interview with a Saudi Arabian broadcaster, which was later posted on his ministry’s website.

This military deployment by the US comes after it issued a fresh warning to Tehran on Wednesday, following a second round of nuclear talks. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said “Iran would be very wise to make a deal” with US President Donald Trump, after indirect talks in the Geneva ended without any tangible results. UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi also said that although the second round of talks were a 'step forward' in terms of negotiations between Iran and the United States in Geneva, there's not "much time" left.
Trump, had ordered strikes on Iran last year.

Iran had issued a warning for pilots to stay away from the southern part of the country on Thursday owing to missile launches. During its 12-day war with Iran last June, the U.S. supported Israel in attacking Iran's nuclear facilities, resulting in what intelligence indicated was serious harm to Iran's nuclear program.

Following the U.S. withdrawal from the 2014 nuclear deal, Iran had enhances its enrichment program prior to the war. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Iran has begun enriching uranium up to 60 per cent purity, which is just a technical step away from weapons-grade levels. Iran is said to be the only nation in the world that has done so without possessing a nuclear weapon.

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