Khaberni - US sources revealed to Reuters that the US military is making plans for the possibility of executing prolonged military operations that could last for weeks against Iran, should President Donald Trump issue the attack order, in an escalation that could lead to a more dangerous confrontation than any previous one between the two countries.
The two officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the planning, noted that the military preparations complicate the ongoing diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran.
In contrast, an informed source reported that Geneva would host two rounds of talks on Tuesday, one on Iran and the other about Ukraine.
An American delegation including the envoys Steve Whitkov and Jared Kushner is scheduled to meet with Iranian officials in the morning, before the envoys participate later in the same day in tripartite talks involving representatives from Russia and Ukraine.
Trump had again hinted at the possibility of a regime change in Iran, earlier announcing the deployment of a second American aircraft carrier, the "USS Gerald R. Ford", to the Middle East "very soon", emphasizing that failing to reach a deal on the Iranian nuclear program would lead to "painful consequences".
During a statement at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, Trump responded to a question about regime change in Iran: "It seems that this is the best that could happen," adding that Tehran has "been talking for 47 years without results".
He affirmed that Washington prefers to reach a deal but warned that failure to do so would make the situation "very painful", indicating the possibility of resorting to the military option.
The United States and Iran had conducted talks in Oman last week, amid cautious optimism about the possibility of resuming the negotiation process, although no official date has yet been announced for a new round.
