US close to full-scale war with Iran – Axios

Axios has reported, citing sources, that the United States is allegedly very close to deciding to launch a large-scale military operation against Iran, which could begin in the near future.

Source: European Pravda, referring to a report by Axios

Details: Axios sources said officials in the Trump administration are close to a decision on a large-scale armed operation against Iran – one that would resemble a full-scale war rather than a swift and "surgical" operation like the one conducted in Venezuela.

It is likely to be a joint campaign with Israel and significantly larger in scope than the "12-day war" in June 2025, when the US struck Iranian underground nuclear facilities.

Trump had reportedly been close to authorising strikes on Iran as early as the beginning of January while watching the bloody crackdown on protesters. However, the administration later shifted to a "dual-track approach" – attempting to negotiate with Tehran over its nuclear programme while simultaneously increasing its military presence in the region. At present, negotiations do not appear likely to deliver the outcome desired by Washington.

Two aircraft carriers, around a dozen warships, hundreds of fighter jets and numerous air defence systems are already deployed near Iranian territory. Around 50 additional fighter jets have reportedly been sent to the Middle East in the past 24 hours alone.

Some US sources say considerable time would still be needed to get ready for the operation. However, one adviser claims that Trump is "running out of patience", despite warnings from some members of his team, and estimates that it is "90% probable" that the operation will begin in the coming weeks.

Background: The latest round of US-Iran talks took place in Geneva on Tuesday. Following the meeting, Iran's foreign minister said it marked "the beginning of a path toward an agreement" between the two countries.

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