The Pentagon is preparing for a "sustained, weeks-long military campaign" against Iran if President Trump gives the green light, according to fresh reporting in Reuters which cites two US officials.
The scenario under review envisions a far broader conflict than last June's 12-day war, when the US and Israel launched strikes on the Islamic Republic. But some who better remember the recent Iraq and Afghan wars say it won't just be "weeks" - but any major Iran action has the likelihood of becoming a much lengthier and bloodier than envisioned quagmire.
The report comes after Washington and Tehran resumed indirect talks in Oman last week - also as Israel is pressing for Iran to dismantle not only its nuclear program but also its ballistic missile arsenal - the same capability Tehran used to strike back at Tel Aviv in June.
Even as some White House officials have touted the idea of 'limited' strikes on Iran, akin to the swift and easy Venezuela operation which ousted Nicolás Maduro, Pentagon planners are being more realistic in admitting immediate Iranian retaliation would sustain the conflict, making it "more complex".
From the heart of the Reuters article...
The planning under way this time is more complex, the officials said. In a sustained campaign, the U.S. military could hit Iranian state and security facilities, not just nuclear infrastructure, one of the officials said. The official declined to provide specific details.
Experts say the risks to U.S. forces would be far greater in such an operation against Iran, which boasts a formidable arsenal of missiles. Retaliatory Iranian strikes also increase the risk of a regional conflict.
The same official said the United States fully expected Iran to retaliate, leading to back-and-forth strikes and reprisals over time.
As for the 'option' of a large-scale attack, Pentagon leadership is still cautious on this, given US assets are still being put in place in the CENTOM region, also as a second carrier - the USS Gerald R. Ford - is still en route from the Caribbean.
"Defensively, we’ve got to make sure, before we do anything [that US defenses are in order," saidGen. Joseph Votel, former head of US Central Command. "So we are prepared for the inevitable response that comes back against US interests or against our partners." The NY Times has also lately described the effort as "putting one’s house in order."
Are US dialogue and peace efforts for real this time? Or another ruse to lull the Iranians into thinking it want suffer surprise attack..
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