The US has not given up its military option and is still sending armed forces to the Middle East

During Tuesday's press conference at the White House, US President Donald Trump refused to rule out a military operation against the Iranian authorities. He also did not stop the ongoing concentration of American armed forces in the Middle East.

According to the latest reports from the MarineTraffic portal, the strike group of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln has just sailed through the Strait of Malacca, separating the Pacific Ocean from the Indian Ocean, and continues its cruise west – towards the Middle East. At the same time, more tactical combat aircraft flew east from RAF Lakenheath in the UK, including F-15E Strike Eagle fighters, KC-135 Stratotanker tankers and C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed on Tuesday the presence of F-15E aircraft in the Middle East and announced the deployment of EAGLS mobile anti-drone systems in the region, which were tested during the Sky Shield exercises in Kuwait in December last year. They joined the advanced ground-based launcher (EASOL) systems already present there. A few days earlier, the US Air Force sent M1 Abrams tanks and M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles to the Middle East.

These actions prove that President Trump is still considering a military crackdown on Iran, which he explicitly confirmed during Tuesday's conference at the White House. “Is the military option excluded? No,” he said in response to a question about his plans for Iran.

Trump has repeatedly threatened the regime with an attack if it does not stop the killing of Iranians demonstrating since December 28 last year. He assured protesters that help was “on the way”, but did not decide to attack. He explained this by the fact that the regime stopped killing and allegedly stopped several hundred executions. However, despite restrictions on Internet access, photos and videos still appear on social media documenting the violence of the Iranian authorities against their own people.

Although the United States has not taken any military action against Tehran, rhetoric between the two countries remains fierce. Tehran on Tuesday warned Trump not to take any action against Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. “Trump knows that if any act of aggression is carried out against our leader, we will set their world on fire,” threatened General Abolfazl Shekarchi, spokesman for the Iranian armed forces. The US president responded by threatening that any attack on him would mean “leveling Iran to the ground.”

Israel also sends warnings to the Iranian regime. – If the Islamic Republic attacks Israel, Jerusalem will act with a power that Iran has never seen before, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu assured on Monday.

Tadeusz Brzozowski (PAP)

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