US military weighs sustained Iran strikes, casting shadow over diplomacy

The US military is preparing for the possibility ⁠of sustained, weeks-long operations against Iran if President Donald Trump orders an attack, according to two US officials, 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 under way between the United States and Iran. US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will hold negotiations with Iran on Tuesday in Geneva, with representatives from Oman acting as mediators.US Secretary of State Marco Rubio cautioned on Saturday ‌that while Trump’s preference was to reach a deal with Tehran, “that’s very hard to do”. Meanwhile, Trump has amassed military forces in the region, raising fears of new military action.US 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 on Friday after a military event at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, openly floated the possibility of changing the government in Iran, saying it “seems like that would be the best thing that could happen”. He declined to share who he wanted to take over Iran, but said, “there are people”.“For 47 years, they’ve been talking and talking and talking,” Trump said. Trump has long voiced scepticism about sending ground troops into Iran, saying ⁠last year, “the last thing you want to do is ground forces” and the kinds of US firepower arrayed in the Middle East so far suggest options for strikes primarily by air and naval forces.