The U.S. military is positioning itself to possibly join Israel’s offensive against Iran, as President Trump considers taking direct action aimed at permanently dismantling Tehran’s nuclear program.
On Tuesday, Trump urged civilians in Tehran to evacuate and hinted that he was contemplating military action against Iran — less than half a day after calling on the Iranian government to accept his terms for a new nuclear agreement.
A central issue now confronting Trump is whether to authorize the use of GBU-57 bunker buster bombs on Iran’s Fordow nuclear facility. This type of weapon, capable of destroying deeply buried and heavily fortified sites, is viewed by Iran hawks as essential to neutralizing the country’s nuclear capabilities. Israel does not possess the GBU-57 or the B-2 stealth bombers required to deploy it, which has prompted both current and former Israeli officials to push for U.S. involvement.
Iran appears to be facing a difficult strategic dilemma.
“The United States is much stronger than us. It has capabilities that we don’t possess,” former Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz said in an interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper. “I am sure that the United States, if it decides to act, will do it for its own interests and not just ours.”
Another former Israeli defense minister, Yoav Gallant, echoed this sentiment, saying Trump has “an obligation to ensure the region moves in a positive direction and that the world is free from a nuclear-armed Iran.”
Trump, who returned early from the G7 summit in Canada on Monday to consult with his national security team, has already approved a range of defensive deployments to the Middle East. These include more than 30 aerial refueling tankers sent to Europe, the USS Nimitz carrier strike group dispatched to the region, and two Navy destroyers deployed to the eastern Mediterranean to support Israel against potential missile attacks.
The refueling aircraft could serve to support Israeli fighter jets, providing Trump a more limited pathway for military involvement without launching a direct strike.
A U.S. official told NewsNation the tankers were moved into position to give the president "options" should tensions escalate and Washington opts to deepen its role.
These new deployments add to the existing U.S. military presence in the region, which includes around 40,000 troops, missile defense systems, warships, and combat aircraft.
Altogether, the repositioning of air and naval forces signals that the U.S. is preparing for the possibility of offensive action, as Israel and Iran exchange strikes in what has become open conflict. Israeli officials have warned that the fighting could stretch on for “weeks, not days,” raising fears of a broader regional war.