President Donald Trump speaks during a Board of Peace meeting at the U.S. Institute of Peace, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
A massive US military buildup in West Asia has fuelled fears of a wider war in the region. The buildup has progressed to the point that President Donald Trump has the option to take military action against Iran as soon as this weekend, administration and Pentagon officials said, leaving the White House with high stakes choices about pursuing diplomacy or war.The drive to assemble a military force capable of striking Iran’s nuclear programme, its ballistic missiles and accompanying launch sites has continued this week despite indirect talks between the two nations on Tuesday, with Iran seeking two weeks to come back with fleshed out proposals for a diplomatic resolution.Iranian and US negotiators met on Tuesday and Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araqchi said they had agreed on “guiding principles”. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Wednesday, however, that the two sides remained apart on some issues. A senior US official said Iran would make a written proposal on how to address US concerns.Trump called on Tehran to join the US on the “path to peace”. “They can’t have a nuclear weapon, it’s very simple,” he said. “You can’t have peace in the Middle East (West Asia) if they have a nuclear weapon.”Trump has repeatedly demanded that Iran give up its nuclear programme, including agreeing not to enrich any more uranium. PM Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, whose country would potentially take part in an attack, has been pushing for action to weaken Iran’s ability to launch missiles at Israel. Israeli forces, which have been on heightened alert for weeks, have been making more preparations for a possible war.Iran has resisted making major concessions on its nuclear programme, though insisting it is for peaceful purposes.The US buildup suggests an array of possible Iranian targets, including short and medium range missiles, missile storage depots, nuclear sites and other targets, such as Iran’s Revolutionary Guard HQ.Despite Trump’s tough stance, the Pentagon last month was in a poor position to back him up. The 30,000 to 40,000 US troops scattered around West Asia, including at eight permanent bases, were low on air defences to protect them from expected retaliation. But over the past month, the US military has moved the necessary air defences – including Patriot missile defence and Terminal High Altitude Area Defence systems. Both systems can intercept Iranian ballistic missiles. Anofficial said the US military could now defend itself from any Iranian retaliation for American strikes on its nuclear and military targets, at least for a short campaign. But, the official said, the question remained as to whether the US military is ready to sustain a longer and wider war. agencies
