US vs Iran: Pentagon Ready to Strike as Early as This Weekend — What Happens If War Starts
War with Iran could be days away. And if it happens, you'll feel it at the petrol pump.Top national security officials have told President Donald Trump the US military is ready for strikes on Iran as early as Saturday. Trump hasn't made a final call. But the pieces are in place. Two aircraft carriers. More than 12 warships. Hundreds of fighter jets. Another 50 jets, including F-35s and F-22s, arrived in the region in the past 24 hours alone.'The boss is getting fed up,' one Trump adviser told Axios. 'I think there is 90% chance we see kinetic action in the next few weeks.'The Economic Gamble Behind the TimingHere's what most headlines are missing. Current oil market conditions may be giving Trump a rare window to strike with less economic blowback.Brent crude sits around $67–$70 (£49.66–£51.88) per barrel. Supply is healthy. Demand growth is modest. Iran's regional proxies, battered by last year's 12-day war, aren't what they used to be. Axios reports these factors could soften the price shock if strikes happen now rather than later.That matters for households in the UK and beyond. A prolonged conflict could send Brent crude soaring to $90–$130 (£66.70–£96.35) per barrel, according to analysts at The National Interest, particularly if Iran blocks the Strait of Hormuz. About one-fifth of all global oil trade passes through that chokepoint. Higher energy bills, fresh inflation, supply chain chaos. All on the table.Pentagon Shifts Personnel Ahead of Possible RetaliationThe military isn't just gearing up. It's also getting people out of harm's way.Over the next three days, the Pentagon is moving some personnel temporarily out of the Middle East, according to CBS. Most are heading to Europe or back to the US. Officials call it standard practice before any potential operation. It doesn't confirm an attack is coming. But it shows the White House is preparing for Iranian retaliation either way.
Meanwhile, Tehran is digging in. Literally.Satellite imagery analysed by the Institute for Science and International Security shows Iran has buried all three tunnel entrances at the Isfahan nuclear complex with soil. At the Parchin military site, a new facility now sits under what analysts describe as a 'concrete sarcophagus.''Stalling the negotiations has its benefits,' wrote ISIS founder David Albright on X.
ISIS founder claims Iran is burying the new Taleghan 2 facility to provide significant protection from airstrikes.
Talks Stall as Calendar Complicates EverythingTuesday's nuclear talks in Geneva didn't move the needle. US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff met with Iran's foreign minister for three hours. Both sides said they agreed on 'guiding principles.' But Vice President JD Vance told Fox News that Iran hasn't acknowledged US red lines. Officials from both countries say they remain 'very far apart.'Now look at the calendar. Ramadan started yesterday, and some will start today. US allies in the Middle East have warned that strikes during the Muslim holy month would be seen as disrespectful. The Winter Olympics wrap up Sunday. Some European officials believe no attack will come before then. And Trump delivers his State of the Union address on Tuesday, a speech aides say will kick off his midterm messaging.Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has issued his own warning, 'If they start a war, this time it will be a regional war.'White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said diplomacy remains Trump's first option. But she added, 'There are many reasons and arguments that one could make for a strike against Iran.'What This Means for YouA US-Iran war wouldn't stay contained. It could pull in Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the Gulf states. It could wreck the fragile Gaza ceasefire. It would mark the largest American military intervention in the Middle East since the Iraq War.And those oil prices? They'd hit everyone. Higher petrol costs. Pricier goods. More pressure on household budgets already stretched thin.War could be days away. And if it happens, you'll feel it.
Comments (0)