US Army awaits Trump’s decision and Iran mobilizes

Pentagon and government sources familiar with the matter told The New York Times that the American president has the option of taking military measures against Tehran this weekend.

The White House was informed that the Army would be ready for an immediate strike, following a significant increase in air and naval assets in the Middle East in recent days – Washington has the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and its fleet of warships in the region, while a second group, from the USS Gerald Ford, is en route to the Middle East.

According to broadcaster CBS, Trump is evaluating these possible attacks in the coming days. A sign of this is that the Pentagon began to temporarily withdraw part of its personnel from the region, mainly towards Europe and the USA, as a preventive measure in the face of possible Iranian actions or counterattacks.

Russia joins Iran in military exercises and calls for de-escalation

Iran and Russia carried out a series of joint naval maneuvers in the Sea of ​​Oman on Thursday, amid growing tensions with Washington.

Iranian destroyers, missile-launching ships and helicopters took part in the military exercises, along with the Russian warship Stoiky. The exercises seek to “strengthen security and coordination to face threats to maritime security”, according to media outlets in the Persian country.

Among the activities carried out, Iranian and Russian naval special forces simulated the release of a hijacked ship and the capture of pirates, according to the news agency IRNA.

This Thursday’s exercises took place east of the Strait of Hormuz, where the Revolutionary Guard Navy carried out maneuvers on Monday and Tuesday, partially closing the strait, through which 20% of the world’s oil passes.

Amid the military maneuvers, the Kremlin spokesman warned of an “unprecedented escalation of tensions” around Iran, while calling on all parties to resort exclusively to diplomatic means to resolve their differences.

“Russia continues to develop its relations with Iran. In doing so, we urge restraint from our Iranian friends and all parties in the region,” he said.

Israel also prepares for war

According to the Timesthe Israeli armed forces have also increased their preparations for a possible war, and the Israeli security cabinet plans to meet next Sunday, according to two Israeli Defense sources told the newspaper, who describe the possible operation in Iran as a multi-day attack with the aim of forcing the country to make more concessions on its nuclear program in negotiations.

The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, which was part of the Caribbean fleet during the operation against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, approached the Strait of Gibraltar this Wednesday to join the USS Abraham Lincoln, already stationed in Middle Eastern waters.

For now, the climate remains divided between diplomacy and war. In the Geneva round of negotiations last Tuesday, Tehran announced that it had reached a consensus on “general principles” of a nuclear agreement with the US, while Washington acknowledged progress, but highlighted that the Iranians are “not yet willing to recognize” the red lines established by American President Donald Trump.