US buildup of warships and fighter jets sets stage for potential war with Iran

[lostincalifornia]

The US has deployed 13 warships and a large fleet of aircraft to the Middle East, with a second aircraft carrier also en route, setting the stage for a potential military confrontation with Iran less than a year after President Donald Trump ordered strikes on the country's nuclear facilities.

The massive US military buildup in the Middle East, including warships, fighter jets and refuelling aircraft, lays the foundation for a potentially sustained campaign against Iran – should President Donald Trump give the order.

Trump – who ordered strikes on Iran last year – has repeatedly threatened Tehran with further military action if ongoing talks do not reach a replacement for the nuclear deal the US president tore up in 2018, during his first term in office.

CNN and CBS reported Wednesday that the US military will be ready to launch strikes against Iran as early as this weekend, though Trump has reportedly not made a final decision yet.

https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20260219-us-buildup-warships-fighter-jets-armada-sets-stage-potential-war-with-iran

According to Bloomberg TV This is the largest US military deployment buildup in decades.

If trump is looking to distract from the epstein crimes, this would provide him an excuse. Crude oil is rising on the increased risk of a military conflict with Iran.

[MiHale]

1. And it's...1,2,3, what are we fighting 4...don't know, don't give a damn...next stop is Iran.

[Scrivener7]

2. Andrew Mountbatten's arrest sets stage for war with Iran.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

3. MaddowBlog-Whether Americans are ready or not, Trump inches U.S. closer to a war in Iran

I have some bad news for voters who assumed Trump would reject military adventurism and ignore the calls for foreign interventionism.

In 2013, Trump tweeted, “Obama will someday attack Iran in order to show how tough he is.” He added, “Obama will attack Iran because of his inability to negotiate properly — not skilled!”

In 2012, he added that Obama would hit Iran because his "poll numbers are in a tailspin.”

Yeah, about that...

— Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2026-02-19T16:20:26.569Z

https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/whether-americans-are-ready-or-not-trump-inches-u-s-closer-to-a-war-in-iran

In September 2013, amid concerns about a possible U.S. confrontation with Iran, Donald Trump published a tweet that read, “Remember what I previously said — Obama will someday attack Iran in order to show how tough he is.” The Republican added, two months later, “Remember that I predicted a long time ago that President Obama will attack Iran because of his inability to negotiate properly — not skilled!”.....

Axios published a striking report this week that noted the growing body of evidence that suggests a war with Iran is “imminent.” The report added, “A U.S. military operation in Iran would likely be a massive, weeks-long campaign that would look more like full-fledged war than last month’s pinpoint operation in Venezuela.”

A day later, The Wall Street Journal reported:

The U.S. is sending significant numbers of jet fighters and support aircraft to the Middle East, assembling the greatest amount of air power in the region since the 2003 invasion of Iraq. […]

Over the past few days, the U.S. has continued to move cutting-edge F-35 and F-22 jet fighters toward the Middle East, according to flight-tracking data and a U.S. official. A second aircraft carrier loaded with attack and electronic-warfare planes is on the way. Command-and-control aircraft, which are vital for orchestrating large air campaigns, are inbound. And critical air defenses have been deployed to the region in recent weeks.

.....On Friday, for example, a reporter asked Trump what the U.S. would even target if, as the president has claimed, Iran’s nuclear program has already been “obliterated.” Trump replied, “You could get whatever the dust is down there.”

Five days later, a reporter asked White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt why a military strike in Iran might be necessary. She replied that there are “many reasons and arguments that one could make.”

Q: "Can you share a little bit about…why a strike might be necessary on a nuclear program he said was 'obliterated' by the last U.S. strike?"

Leavitt: "There's many reasons and arguments one could make for a strike against Iran.”

— The Bulwark (@thebulwark.com) 2026-02-18T19:04:52.702Z

.....In the 2024 race, many voters saw Trump’s entire vision as rooted in foreign policy restraint. He was, these voters believed, the candidate who’d reject military adventurism and ignore the calls of those who embrace foreign interventionism.

I have some bad news for those Americans.