A report by the Hebrew newspaper Maariv said that an American strike is drawing closer, as United States forces work to significantly increase their military presence in the Middle East and the Arabian Gulf, amid growing reports of an American intention to launch a military attack on targets inside Iran.
The American aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln was observed over the past twenty-four hours travelling from the Pacific Ocean towards the Arabian Sea.
This movement indicates a significant reduction in the time required for the strike group to reach an effective range for striking Iran, with security officials estimating that the aircraft carrier will arrive at its destination in less than a week, according to the newspaper.
Last week, United States President Donald Trump announced that “help is on the way” and that “all options are on the table”, fuelling speculation that the Pentagon was planning surgical strikes against the infrastructure of the Revolutionary Guard, ballistic missile sites, or command and control centres used to suppress protesters.
Alongside the movement of the Abraham Lincoln, reports emerged of active deployments of American transport and refuelling aircraft towards bases in the Gulf, including Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, according to the newspaper.
According to the reports, the strike group also includes destroyers equipped with cruise missiles, as well as at least one attack submarine.
The newspaper also spoke of unconfirmed claims that another aircraft carrier, the George H W Bush, may be sent to the region to strengthen American defensive and offensive capabilities.
It was also reported that military officials informed the president last week that Iran would not be defeated without a significant increase in American forces, according to the Hebrew newspaper.
Pentagon officials explained that the troop buildup is continuing at maximum speed, intending to provide the political leadership with “decisive superiority” should a decision to move forward be taken. For its part, Iran has raised the alert level of its missile systems and warned that any attack would be met with a “strong response”.
