Two unnamed officials [told Reuters](https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/us-military-preparing-po tentially-weeks-long-iran-operations-2026-02-13/) yesterday that the U.S. military is preparing for the possibility of sustained, weeks-long operations against Iran if President Donald Trump orders an attack. The planning underway this time is more complex than the one-off Midnight Hammer strike of last June, the officials said.
In a sustained campaign, the U.S. military could hit Iranian state and security facilities, not just nuclear infrastructure, one of the officials said, declining to provide specific detail.
Experts told Reuters that the risks to U.S. forces would be far greater in such an operation against Iran, which boasts a formidable arsenal of missiles. Retaliatory Iranian strikes also increase the risk of a regional conflict. The same official said the United States fully expected Iran to retaliate, leading to back-and-forth strikes and reprisals over a period of time.
In Tehran, Hamidreza Moqaddamfar, media adviser to the IRGC, rejected the notion of a US war of attrition against Iran and dismissed the possibility of any American military aggression, saying Washington neither has the capacity nor the intention to launch an all-out attack. He stated that, according to documents published by the Americans themselves, the United States would not carry out a large-scale and protracted attack against any country, adding that US officials are aware that they lack the ability to continue a war and therefore would not enter into a comprehensive conflict with Iran, reported Tasnim.
Moqaddamfar emphasized that the US would not embark on military action for two reasons. First, he said, such an attack would require extensive preparations, and otherwise “hit-and-run” strikes would have no impact on the Islamic Republic, adding that worse situations occurred during the 12-day war in June 2025. Second, he said, the entire region opposes such a move. He pointed out that some of the world’s largest businesses are based in Dubai in the UAE and that even a single missile strike disrupting security would bring all business activities to a halt.
Moqaddamfar is half right. The US military does not have the capacity to wage a sustained campaign, but to assume that Donald Trump will rationally decide on that basis not to launch one is a mistake. Moqaddamfar also doesn’t account for the risk of an out-of-control escalation.
Secretary of Iran’s Defense Council Ali Shamkhani had earlier warned that Iran will respond decisively and strongly to any adventurism directed against the country. “We will respond strongly, decisively, and appropriately to any adventurism against Iran,” Shamkhani reiterated, noting that Iran’s military readiness is at a high level, warning that any miscalculation by any party would come at a significant cost.