If a US-Iran deal falls through, Donald Trump has threatened “there will be a bombing” of Iran.
And ahead of the talks in Oman, the US clearly bolstered its military presence in the region.
It moved six of its most advanced bombers, the B-2, to the US-British military base of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean earlier this month.
Experts say the location put the bombers in an ideal position to operate in the Middle East. The B-2s are equipped to carry the heaviest US bombs as well as nuclear weapons.
In a display of its miliitary capabilities, the US has also sent a second aircraft carrier, the USS Carl Vinson carrier strike group, to the Middle East.
Israeli media reported last week that the US had provided Israel with an additional Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, battery.
This is a high altitude system capable of intercepting missiles outside the atmosphere.
The move is widely seen as helping defend against possible Iranian ballistic missile attacks.
Israel could also launch strike
A military strike on Iran doesn’t necessarily have to be executed by the United States, it could also be launched by Israel.
Israel is now in a strong position to strike Iran, concludes a new analysis by the Atlantic Council.
This is because Hezbollah’s extremely weakened state “eliminates a major response option Iran had long counted on to deter an Israeli or US strike.”
“The most effective option may be a combined US-Israeli operation,” the analysis finds.
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