The Donald Trump administration is closer to a major war in the Middle East than most Americans realize, says Axios, stressing "it could begin very soon," Report informs.
A US military operation in Iran would likely be a massive, weeks-long campaign that would look more like a full-fledged war than last month's pinpoint operation in Venezuela, sources say.
The sources noted it would likely be a joint US-Israeli campaign that's much broader in scope than the Israeli-led 12-day war last June, which the US eventually joined to take out Iran's underground nuclear facilities.
Such a war would have a dramatic influence on the entire region and major implications for the remaining three years of the Trump presidency, according to Axios.
With the attention of Congress and the public otherwise occupied, there is little public debate about what could be the most consequential US military intervention in the Middle East in at least a decade.
Some US sources tell Axios that the US might need more time. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said strikes could still be weeks away. But others say the timeline could be shorter.
"The boss is getting fed up. Some people around him warn him against going to war with Iran, but I think there is 90% chance we see kinetic action in the next few weeks," one Trump adviser said.
More than 150 U.S. military cargo flights have moved weapons systems and ammunition to the Middle East.
Just in the past 24 hours, another 50 fighter jets - F-35s, F-22s and F-16s - headed to the region, says Axios.