The massive U.S. military buildup in the Middle East, including warships, fighter jets and refueling aircraft, lays the foundation for a potentially sustained campaign against Iran 〞 should U.S. President Donald Trump give the order.

Trump 〞 who ordered strikes on Iran last year 〞 has repeatedly threatened Tehran with further military action if ongoing talks do not reach a replacement for the nuclear deal the U.S. president tore up in 2018, during his first term in office.

The presence of ※so much firepower ... in the region creates a momentum of its own,§ said Susan Ziadeh, a senior advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.