February 16, 2026
Pentagon prepares weeks-long Iran campaign, not a one-off strike
Two carriers mass in Arabian Sea as Trump warns Iran of deal-or-war choice
🌍Foreign Policy🛡️National Security
Two U.S. officials told Reuters on Feb. 13, 2026 that the Pentagon is preparing for weeks-long operations against Iran — not a one-off strike. The planning would hit Iranian state institutions and security forces, not just nuclear sites.
The June 2025 Midnight Hammer operation used B-2 stealth bombers on a single night to strike three Iranian nuclear facilities. Iran responded with a limited retaliatory strike on a U.S. base in Qatar, and the confrontation ended there. The new planning is categorically different.
Two U.S. aircraft carrier strike groups — the USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Gerald Ford — are simultaneously positioned in the Arabian Sea. Each carrier travels with guided-missile destroyers carrying dozens of Tomahawk cruise missiles and an attack submarine capable of launching additional missiles.
The USS Gerald Ford was pulled directly from the Caribbean, where it took part in the January 2026 operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, and sent to the Middle East as soon as Trump said diplomacy with Iran was proving difficult.
At Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar — the largest U.S. military installation in the region — Patriot missile batteries have been placed on mobile HEMTT truck launchers for rapid repositioning. Satellite imagery analyzed by Reuters shows 18 KC-135 refueling aircraft and seven C-17 transport planes at the base.
At Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, satellite images from Feb. 2 show 17 F-15E Strike Eagle fighter-bombers, eight A-10 Thunderbolt close air support aircraft, and four EA-18G Growler electronic warfare jets — all absent weeks earlier.
Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi told BBC News on Feb. 16 that Tehran is willing to make compromises on its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief — the first such public signal as the military buildup escalated.
Trump told reporters on Feb. 13 that the U.S. had found it difficult to make a nuclear deal with Iran and that the alternative would be 'very traumatic.' The White House declined to comment on the Reuters military planning report beyond saying Trump 'has all options on the table.'
Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, and Egypt have each lobbied the Trump administration privately for restraint. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian that Riyadh would not allow its airspace to be used for a U.S. attack. A YouGov poll found 85% of Americans oppose a war with Iran.
🌍Foreign Policy🛡️National Security
People, bills, and sources
Donald Trump
President of the United States
Pete Hegseth
Secretary of Defense
Majid Takht-Ravanchi
Deputy Foreign Minister of Iran
Marco Rubio
U.S. Secretary of State
Maj. Gen. Abdolrahim Mousavi
Chief of Staff of Iran's Armed Forces
What you can do
1
civic action
Contact your senators to demand congressional authorization before any Iran strike
Under the War Powers Resolution of 1973, the president must notify Congress within 48 hours of introducing U.S. armed forces into hostilities and must end operations within 60 days unless Congress authorizes them. The June 2025 Midnight Hammer strikes were conducted without a congressional vote. A sustained weeks-long campaign would almost certainly require congressional authorization.
Hi, my name is [NAME] and I live in [CITY]. I'm calling about the reported Pentagon planning for sustained military operations against Iran. Under the War Powers Resolution, the president must get congressional authorization for extended military action. I'm urging Senator [NAME] to go on record demanding a vote before any attack is ordered. Can you tell me the senator's current position on requiring congressional authorization for Iran?
2
educational
Learn how the War Powers Resolution works and whether it's ever been enforced
Congress passed the War Powers Resolution in 1973 to limit the president's ability to start wars without legislative approval. Every president since Nixon has disputed its constitutionality, and Congress has almost never enforced it. Understanding this gap between law and practice is essential to understanding who actually decides when the U.S. goes to war.
Search 'War Powers Resolution' at crsreports.congress.gov for nonpartisan analysis of how the law has been applied — and when presidents ignored it.
3
civic action
Write to your House representative about the risks of escalation without debate
The House holds the power to fund military operations. If Trump orders a sustained campaign against Iran without congressional authorization, the House can defund it or pass a resolution demanding withdrawal. But that requires members to act.
Hi, my name is [NAME] and I'm a constituent in [DISTRICT]. I'm asking Rep. [NAME] to publicly state whether they believe Congress should vote before the U.S. launches sustained military operations against Iran. I'm also asking the representative to cosponsor any legislation requiring a congressional authorization vote.