reuters.com
www.reuters.com
  • Trump says it has been difficult to make a deal with Iran
  • US fully expects Iran to retaliate, official says
  • A sustained campaign carries more risk to US forces, broader Middle East

WASHINGTON, Feb 13 (Reuters) - The U.S. military is preparing for the possibility of sustained, weeks-long operations against Iran if President Donald Trump orders an attack, two U.S. officials told Reuters, in what could become a far more serious conflict than previously seen between the countries.

The disclosure by the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the planning, raises the stakes for the diplomacy underway between the United States and Iran.

U.S. and Iranian diplomats held talks in Oman last week in an effort to revive diplomacy over Tehran’s nuclear program, after Trump amassed military forces in the region, raising fears of new military action.

U.S. officials said on Friday the Pentagon was sending an additional aircraft carrier to the Middle East, adding thousands more troops along with fighter aircraft, guided-missile destroyers and other firepower capable of waging attacks and defending against them.

Trump, speaking to U.S. troops on Friday at a base in North Carolina, said it had “been difficult to make a deal” with Iran.

“Sometimes you have to have fear. That’s the only thing that really will get the situation taken care of,” Trump said.

  • BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.todayEnglish
    9·
    2 months ago

    So MAGAs, let’s check the scoreboard:

    • America First, no foreign entanglements. Didn’t realize that there were exceptions for Venezuela, Iran, Greenland, Colombia, Mexico, Canada, NATO, etc

    • Lower Prices on Day 1 - Past day 365, and prices are way up, and rising fast.

    • Epstein Files - We’re going to expose all those Democratic perverts…oh wait, they’re all MAGAs. Never mind, nothing to see here, move along…

    • Deport Illegal Immigrant Criminals - Including innocent people, children, families, veterans, farm workers, etc. with no due process. If they can deny due process to them, they can deny it to YOU.

    • Making America safer - By releasing poorly trained Death Squads into our streets, breaking out into spontaneous firing squads against innocent citizens.

    So why are you still in? Is it the mind-boggling corruption? Or the constant barrage of obvious lies and gaslighting? Is it the destruction of our White House and Monuments? Is it the destruction of our influence around the world? Is it the virtuosic incompetence?

    Is it the pants-shitting press conferences? Because I’ll admit that I do enjoy those myself (Listen for the audible shart at :33, and watch the lady in green’s reaction as staffers frantically clear the room, almost in a panic).

    I’ll bet it’s the Pedophilia. The one thing MAGA can be counted on for, is to protect and defend pedophiles.

    Thats why MAGAs are ALL Pedophiles. Every last one. If you vote MAGA, you are a Pedophile, and always will be.

    • hector@lemmy.todayEnglish
      4·
      2 months ago

      Your America First scorecard left out yemen, syria, lebanon, gaza, the west bank, and Iran.

      That we just indirectly attacked syria and gaza and the west bank and lebanon doesn’t change the fact that we attacked them through Israel.

      The president is a shell of himself, the party is leading him around by the hand, betraying his America first promises. As we all knew he would, but alienating his america first fans that are not party stalwarts and supported him because he promised change and appeared to be fighting the corrupt system.

      Now the president doesn’t think he needs them, as much as he thinks at all in his dotage. He is on his way out, he can’t stay awake when the cameras are rolling. The party is as arrogant as ever, expecting to rig elections just as the democrats arrogantly spite the left into supporting them because they aren’t the other guy.

    • tidderuuf@lemmy.worldEnglish
      1·
      2 months ago

      Didn’t most of them vote for Trump? I’m kind of hoping those that voted for this are the first wave in.

      • NoneOfUrBusiness@fedia.io
        1·
        2 months ago

        Unfortunately only a handful of US soldiers tends to die or be injured in these wars, so most of them will likely never see anything close to the evil they’re inflicting.

    • fullsquare@awful.systemsEnglish
      0·
      2 months ago

      have you? vietnam was backed by soviet union and china when these states were at peak performance, and north vietnamese government was genuinely popular. iran today is not it, who’s gonna stand up for them, fucking north korea? mullah’s regime doesn’t seem to be popular either https://gamaan.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/GAMAAN-Iran-Religion-Survey-2020-English.pdf also iranian air defences were already shown to be unable of touching american aircraft last year, and nobody’s talking about ground invasion

        • fullsquare@awful.systemsEnglish
          01·
          2 months ago

          right, let’s see… they propped up unpopular (some 70% iranians oppose islamic republic rule, source), authoritarian, religious minority rule (only 32% iranians reported to be shia in 2020 survey, so before 2022 protests, it might be even less today), that was in a constant state of crisis and when president nho dinh diem got couped and killed, people danced on the streets (iranians burned down mosques and statue of soleimani during january protests). yeah, maybe iran is like vietnam after all, to be more specific like south vietnam during buddhist crisis

          i don’t think that regular iranian population, that protested every year in almost decade and these protests were all met with crackdowns, mostly deadly, would like to see islamic republic rule to continue. neither i have heard anything about ground invasion, so all you’ve got out there is couple of pilots (officers) in the air and some more on ships

          • choui4@lemmy.zipEnglish
            1·
            2 months ago

            Ill just tell you. During Vietnam, soldiers would frequently disappear orders. They would sabotage their own equipment and even go so far as to “frag” their brass. THAT is what I was asking you to get to

            • fullsquare@awful.systemsEnglish
              0·
              2 months ago

              and i told you before that it’s officers (pilots are generally officers) that will be doing aerial bombing, and because large force on ground is prerequisite for situations you’re describing, it’s not going to happen

              • choui4@lemmy.zipEnglish
                21·
                2 months ago

                We can only speculate. All it takes it for one mechanic to sabotage a plane.

      • Panini@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
        1·
        2 months ago

        The comment you’re replying to is directed at the American military personnel. Famously, American soldiers shot and killed their commanding officers on numerous occasions during the Vietnam war, so what they’re advocating for is mutiny by execution, and effectively martyrdom.