President Trump has issued a stark warning, revealing that a decision on potential military action against Iran could come in the next “10 days,” as reported by The Hill. This announcement arrives as the U.S. military is undertaking a massive airlift operation, sending dozens of fighter jets and tankers to Europe and the Middle East, signaling a significant escalation in tensions.
The sheer scale of the U.S. military deployment is pretty incredible. We’re talking about two aircraft carriers, the USS Abraham Lincoln and the USS Gerald R. Ford, complete with their strike groups of destroyers, cruisers, and submarines. Plus, all those refueling tankers and fighter jets, and air defenses. It’s a huge logistical undertaking, and defense officials expect the USS Gerald R. Ford to be in the region by early next week, with all U.S. military forces deployed by mid-March.
President Trump has made it clear that he’s weighing a limited strike on Iran to gain maximum leverage in negotiations. He’s been briefed on a range of options, from targeted strikes on symbolic sites to a more extensive campaign aimed at ousting the current leadership. The goal is to pressure Iran into accepting U.S. demands, which include neutering its nuclear program, scaling down its missile arsenal, and stopping its funding of regional armed proxies.
This situation is incredibly tense, and it feels like the world is holding its breath for President Trump’s decision
If Iran doesn’t budge, the president could then ramp up the attacks. Speaking at the first Board of Peace meeting, President Trump said negotiations were progressing, but he emphasized that Tehran needs to reach a “meaningful” agreement, adding, “Otherwise, bad things happen.”
President Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and special envoy Steve Witkoff recently met with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Geneva, but they walked away without a deal. While Vice President Vance later said the talks “went well” in some aspects, he also noted that “it was very clear that the president has set some red lines that the Iranians are not yet willing to actually acknowledge and work through.”
Tehran is expected to submit a written proposal soon, but it’s still unclear if they’re willing to go beyond their commitments in the Obama-era nuclear deal that President Trump pulled out of in 2018. Iran insists its uranium enrichment is for peaceful purposes and won’t completely abandon its nuclear program, though they’re open to discussing curbs. However, their ballistic missile program is off-limits for discussion, a point the Trump administration insists must be part of any talks.
Michael Makovsky, who heads the Jewish Institute for National Security of America and supports military action against Iran, thinks a strike is “very likely.” He’s been talking to “very, very senior officials” and gets “a sense that that’s where they’re heading.” He doesn’t believe all these assets are being brought to the region just for a small, “Midnight Hammer-type of event,” suggesting a “longer campaign” is more probable.
Jamal Abdi, executive director of the National Iranian American Council, sees President Trump trying to “leverage the military threat to get concessions from Iran,” noting that while President Trump has been willing to use force, his past operations have typically been “one and done” actions with high symbolism and low investment. Abdi doesn’t think such an option “likely exist for Iran.”
Published: Feb 20, 2026 11:00 am