U.S. military planning for potential strikes on Iran has entered what officials describe as an “advanced” phase, with options reportedly expanding beyond nuclear and missile infrastructure to include targeted decapitation strikes against senior regime figures — and with President Donald Trump said to be able to make a strike decision “at any moment.”
Reuters reported Friday that U.S. strike discussions have grown increasingly granular, including options targeting specific Iranian leaders as part of a scalable campaign.
In a separate Friday dispatch, the outlet added that officials across Israel and the Gulf now view the gaps between Washington and Tehran as effectively unbridgeable, with preparations accelerating for the possibility that talks collapse into open conflict.
Axios reported that the Pentagon has presented Trump with multiple military scenarios — including options that would target Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and his son Mojtaba Khamenei, who is widely viewed as a potential successor. One U.S. official told the outlet the president could decide on a strike “at any moment.”
The Wall Street Journal reported the administration has examined a limited opening strike designed to pressure Tehran, while preserving rapid escalation pathways should Iran refuse U.S. demands.
Trump sharpened the warning on Friday.
“Iran better negotiate a fair deal,” he said, adding that if no agreement is reached, “really bad things” will happen.
Speaking about the regime’s January crackdown, Trump said 32,000 people were killed, marking the first time he publicly cited a number of that scale.
“They were going to hang 837 people,” Trump said, claiming he warned Tehran that “if you hang one person, even one person, that you’re going to be hit right then and there.”
“I wasn’t waiting two weeks and negotiating,” he added.
On Thursday aboard Air Force One, when asked if he had set a firm deadline for a deal, Trump compressed the diplomatic window further.
“I would think that would be enough time — 10, 15 days. Pretty much maximum,” he said. “We’re either going to make a deal, or it’s going to be very unfortunate for them.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has acknowledged the sides remain “very far apart.”
According to Reuters, during this week’s indirect Geneva talks, when Omani mediators delivered a written U.S. proposal that included missile-related provisions, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi refused to open the envelope and handed it back.
Araghchi said Friday Iran expects to finalize a written counterproposal within two to three days.
Washington’s position has remained consistent.
U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz reiterated that the United States expects zero enrichment, strict missile constraints, and an end to proxy warfare.
The military posture makes clear Washington is preparing for either outcome.
As Breitbart News reported Wednesday, the United States has assembled the largest concentration of airpower in the Middle East since the 2003 Iraq invasion — including two carrier strike groups, advanced stealth fighters, refueling tankers, and reinforced Patriot and THAAD missile defenses.
The USS Abraham Lincoln is already operating in theater, while the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group is moving into position, expanding strike capacity and sortie generation potential.
New satellite imagery shows increased aircraft presence — including F-35 stealth fighters — at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, with additional aircraft positioned under hardened shelters.
The Telegraph reported Thursday that a U.S. official assessed the probability of military action at “90 percent” absent a breakthrough.
Israel has moved to heightened readiness.
Two Israeli officials told Reuters on Friday they believe the gaps between Washington and Tehran are “unbridgeable” and that the chances of near-term escalation are high.
IDF spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said the military’s “finger is on the trigger more than ever,” while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that if Iran attacks Israel, it will face consequences “it cannot even imagine.”
Hebrew media reported that a U.S. Air Force aircraft associated with special operations command landed at Ben Gurion Airport on Thursday.
Iran responded with force posture of its own.
Late Thursday, Tehran conducted joint naval drills with Russia in the Gulf of Oman near key shipping routes tied to the Strait of Hormuz.
After the exercise, Iran’s conservative Quds outlet declared the region’s coasts are “no place for the enemy’s surfing” and said the drills were intended to counter Western “psychological warfare.”
Also Thursday, Iran warned in a letter to the United Nations that any U.S. strike would trigger a “decisive and proportionate” response and that American bases and assets across the region would become legitimate targets.
Earlier this week, Breitbart News detailed new satellite imagery showing Iran hardening and fortifying key nuclear and military facilities — including reinforced tunnel entrances and protective encasements at sensitive sites — steps analysts said are consistent with preparing for renewed U.S. or joint U.S.–Israeli strikes.
Tehran has also revived elements of the IRGC’s so-called “mosaic defense” doctrine, designed to preserve regime continuity in the event of leadership-targeted strikes.
The escalation is now triggering visible diplomatic fallout across Europe.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk urged Polish citizens to leave Iran immediately, warning evacuation windows could close quickly.
Sweden and Serbia issued urgent advisories for their nationals to depart.
Germany reduced non-mission-critical personnel at a base in northern Iraq amid escalating tensions.
Iran says a written proposal will be delivered within days.
But two rounds of talks have stalled on enrichment, missiles, and sanctions, and Iranian officials continue invoking “guiding principles” while rejecting core U.S. demands — most visibly by returning Washington’s written proposal unopened.
With American strike options reportedly broadened to include leadership targets, U.S. forces positioned across the theater, and regional governments preparing for fallout, the military framework is already in place.
What remains is the decision.
Joshua Klein is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaKlein.
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