The United States is closer to a military confrontation with Iran than most Americans realize, with a potential weeks-long campaign that could "begin very soon," according to a new report Wednesday.
The operation under discussion would look more like a sustained war plan than a one-day strike and could be a joint U.S.-Israeli campaign with a broader scope than last June's 12-day war, reports Axios.
The reporting comes as U.S. and Iranian officials wrapped up a second round of talks Tuesday in Geneva, where U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
Both sides described modest progress but that major differences remain, including over Iran's nuclear enrichment, reports The Washington Post.
Vice President JD Vance, in a televised interview, framed the negotiations as time-limited and said President Donald Trump remained prepared to use force if diplomacy fails.
"We would very much like, as the president has said, to resolve this through a conversation and a diplomatic negotiation," Vance said.
"But the president has all options on the table."
U.S. officials have told Iran it has about two weeks to submit a detailed proposal, while administration officials privately assess Tehran is trying to stall, according to Axios.
A diplomatic source quoted by Al Jazeera warned that "American patience with Iranian delays may run out faster than Tehran thinks."
At the same time, the U.S. military buildup in the region has intensified.
The Pentagon has sent additional aircraft and air defenses and is moving major naval assets, including the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group, toward the Middle East, and "All signs point to [Trump] pulling the trigger if talks fail," Axios quoted a source as saying.
Some Republicans have suggested a broader strike may still be weeks away.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said the United States might need more time to prepare. An unnamed Trump adviser predicted action sooner.
"The boss is getting fed up," the adviser told Axios. "Some people around him warn against going to war with Iran, but I think there is 90% chance we see kinetic action in the next few weeks."
Separately, Reuters reported the U.S. military is preparing for the possibility of sustained, weeks-long operations against Iran if Trump orders an attack, according to two U.S. officials, underscoring the scale of planning underway even as talks continue.
In Israel, officials have moved to a heightened state of readiness amid expectations Iran could retaliate directly even if Israel does not participate in a potential American strike, reports YNet News.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly led limited consultations where the working assumption is Iran would fire missiles at Israel, prompting the Home Front Command and emergency services to prepare for war and security agencies to declare the highest defensive alert.
Israel has also postponed a security Cabinet meeting to Sunday to reduce the risk of miscalculation, amid concerns Tehran could interpret preparations as a signal of imminent attack and act preemptively.
Israeli planning has also focused on the possibility that regional proxies join any escalation, and anticipates that the Houthis could launch missiles and drones at Israel.
Hezbollah could also enter the fight under certain scenarios, forcing Israel to prepare for multiple fronts at once.
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