The United States is gearing up for a “highly kinetic” operation against Iran, bolstered by a significant military presence in the Middle East, according to a former top Pentagon official.
Dana Stroul, currently serving as the research director at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, provided this insight on Sunday. Her comments come as both Washington and Tehran gear up for a second round of indirect nuclear negotiations in Oman.
Stroul expressed to Fox News Digital that the US military is poised for an extensive, high-intensity operation should former President Trump give the order. Additionally, the forces are prepared to protect allies and partners in the region from potential Iranian missile threats.
She noted the military’s ability to swiftly redeploy forces globally and exert overwhelming power in a concentrated area, emphasizing that no ally or adversary matches the US’s current military readiness and capacity in this buildup.
Comparing the current stance with the strikes on Iranian nuclear sites in June 2025, Stroul highlighted the enhancement of both the US’s offensive and defensive strategies.
She elaborated that during last summer’s 12-day conflict and the US’s operation, known as Midnight Hammer, two American aircraft carriers, along with their supporting vessels and air units, were strategically positioned in the Middle East.
“The addition of the Ford is really important, it expands US offensive capabilities if we go to war with Iran,” she said.
While in June 2025, the US carried out limited but highly targeted strikes against Iranian nuclear infrastructure to degrade key facilities without triggering a regional war, now, Stroul said the force posture is broader and more sustained.
The US has also “increased the number of guided-missile destroyers, fighter aircraft, refuelers, and air defense systems” in the region, she explained.
The deployment of aircraft carriers such as the USS Gerald R. Ford and USS Abraham Lincoln has assumed heightened strategic importance.
The USS Gerald R. Ford was recently tracked transiting the Strait of Gibraltar eastward, while the USS Abraham Lincoln is operating in the Arabian Sea.
“They will both be in the Middle East CENTCOM theater,” Stroul explained before clarifying that there could be “one in the eastern Mediterranean and the other in the Arabian Gulf.”
“There would probably be a combination of reasons for that based on availability, readiness, proximity to the Middle East.
“The Ford was heading home and directed to turn around,” she added.
While the specific destinations of the carriers have not been publicly disclosed for operational security reasons, their presence alone signals escalatory leverage and deterrence.
The military buildup comes as indirect diplomatic talks between Washington and Tehran continue, with Oman once again serving as a mediator Feb. 26.
Stroul argued that Iranâs leadership is trying to balance brinkmanship with negotiation.
“Iran’s leaders are playing a weak hand by combining saber-rattling about their own capabilities, staging preparations and exercises to signal readiness,” she claimed.
“They are attempting to slow this down by pursuing negotiations. No one should be under any illusions about the reality of US dominance â Iran is completely outmatched in conventional terms,” Stroul said.
“Israel dominated Iranian airspace in one day last year, targeted many of Iran’s security leaders, took out half of its missile arsenal, and the US significantly set back its nuclear program,” Stroul said.
Iranâs long-cultivated network of proxies across the region â including Hezbollah, Shiite militias in Iraq, and elements in Syria â has also been weakened after sustained Israeli military pressure.
“Iran’s long-cultivated network of proxies across the region is degraded after more than two years of Israeli operations, and they declined to enter the war and support Iran’s defense last summer,” Stroul explained.
“No matter what Iran’s leaders say, Iran is not able to rebuild a decades-long project in a few months.”
“That said, the US military is in a position to execute whatever orders President Trump gives,” she said. “It is not a question of military readiness, but a political decision.”
