Overview
- U.S. officials say forces are in position to strike Iran as early as this weekend, though President Donald Trump has not made a final decision.
- The buildup now includes two aircraft carriers with escorts, more than 50 additional fighter jets, dozens of refueling tankers, and Patriot and THAAD air defenses, with the USS Gerald R. Ford moving toward the Mediterranean to join the USS Abraham Lincoln.
- Indirect talks in Geneva produced a general understanding on guiding principles, yet U.S. and Iranian positions still diverge on enrichment and missiles, and the White House maintains diplomacy is the first option.
- Iran’s Revolutionary Guard conducted live‑fire drills that temporarily restricted traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, and Russian and Chinese vessels joined Iranian ships for joint naval exercises in nearby waters.
- Commercial satellite imagery indicates Iran has repaired and fortified damaged nuclear and missile facilities, while Israeli officials report preparations for a potential joint operation and shifted a security cabinet meeting to Sunday.