Trump ready for ‘sustained’ strikes on Iran as US military executes ‘unprecedented’ Middle East buildup

Caitlin Doornbos / NEW YORK POST

A massive US military buildup in the Middle East suggests the US could be ready to launch a “sustained” bombing campaign on Iran in weeks — or even days — should Tehran continue refusing President Donald Trump’s demands in ongoing negotiations.

With a second aircraft carrier en route to the region and a flood of hundreds of strike, support and other aircraft already nearby, the sheer scale of forces now positioned in the region alone is highly unusual — and unprecedented in recent decades, former Pentagon official and Atlantic Council fellow Alex Plitsas told The Post.

“What we have amassed is an unprecedented size combination of land-based attack aircraft, command and control and sea-based platforms,” he said. “We haven’t seen a buildup like this in this region in decades.”

While last year’s Operation Midnight Hammer took just 25 minutes to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities, a new campaign could last days to weeks, US officials told The Post.

The deployment — including carrier strike groups, land-based aircraft, refueling tankers and command-and-control assets — gives Trump the option to launch what Plitsas described as a sustained air and naval campaign without committing US ground troops. Read more and see photos here.