"Biggest air power buildup since the Iraq War"… Trump decision on 'Iran strike' all that remains

Korea Economic Daily

Summary

The U.S. has amassed in the Middle East its largest concentration of air power since the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
The U.S. said it has the capacity to carry out simultaneous strikes on a broad range of targets, including Iran’s nuclear program, ballistic-missile bases and the IRGC leadership.
Along with the deployment of Nimitz-class and nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, the White House reportedly received a report that operational preparations are complete.

The United States, with an all-out war with Iran in mind, has amassed in the Middle East its largest concentration of air power since the 2003 invasion of Iraq. The force posture is such that strikes could be launched immediately once President Donald Trump issues a final order.

According to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), CNN and The New York Times (NYT) on the 18th (local time), the U.S. military has recently rushed key fighter squadrons to the Middle East, including F-35s, F-22s, F-15s and F-16s. Support assets such as aerial refueling tankers, airborne early warning aircraft and command-and-control aircraft have also been moved in large numbers.

WSJ assessed that the air power now assembled is the largest since 2003’s Operation Iraqi Freedom. It is sufficient to sustain large-scale air operations for weeks.

This reinforcement is a move on a different level from last June’s one-off precision-strike operation, “Midnight Hammer,” which hit three Iranian nuclear facilities. Pentagon officials said the posture is sufficient to carry out simultaneous strikes on a broad set of targets, including Iran’s nuclear program, ballistic-missile bases and the leadership of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Naval forces have also been bolstered. Following the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford is heading to the Middle East. President Trump also mentioned the potential use of the UK’s Diego Garcia base and RAF Fairford.

The U.S. military is said to have completed the physical preparations to strike Iran as early as this weekend. The White House has also reportedly received a report from the Pentagon that operational preparations are complete.

There are variables around the timing of any attack. Factors cited include the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics, which closes on the 23rd, the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan, and President Trump’s first State of the Union address of his second term, scheduled for the 24th.

Iran has also strengthened its defensive posture. Satellite analysis shows Iran has reinforced the Isfahan nuclear facility and the entrances to underground tunnels with concrete and earth. In the Strait of Hormuz, it has forward-deployed the IRGC Navy.

Yi Song-ryeol, Hankyung.com reporter yisr0203@hankyung.com

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