Iran and us

"Little this and that... Any time I want it to end, it will end," Trump said about the war with Iran during the five-minute interview with Axios.

According to their release, the soldiers were killed during the Iranian attack against US bases in the Middle East, with their bodies being retrieved recently.

The Iranian diplomat said any US strike on Iran is "a real gamble," adding that Tehran is ready to reach a deal with Washington as soon as possible.

Trump's fixation on Iran has emerged as the starkest example yet of how foreign policy, including his expanded use of raw military force, has topped his agenda, even over domestic issues.

The New York Times reported that the Pentagon has been moving troops from several bases amid a possible escalation with Iran, including those in Bahrain, Qatar, and the UAE, among others.

Why wars often end precisely when escalation appears out of hand

A smaller attack on Iran would target a few military or government sites, designed to be small enough not to provoke major retaliation and force Iran to agree to a deal favorable to the US. 

The US has been steadily building up its forces within the region. Axios reported that "all signs point to [Trump] pulling the trigger if talks fail."

"We are much closer than we were before, but I remind you,  a superpower does not go to war within days. There is a diplomatic path that needs to be exhausted," Amos Yadlin said.

After using 14 GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators (MOP) during Operation Midnight Hammer against Iranian nuclear facilities, the USAF needs to replenish its arsenal.