US military assets in the Middle East can initiate a potentially large-scale offensive against Iran within four days of receiving a presidential order, according to two US officials who spoke to CNN. The readiness window for the operation is 96 hours, coming as tensions escalate between Washington and Tehran over nuclear sites and naval access in the region.
The operational alert follows a Fox News interview in which President Donald Trump stated it is “decision time” on whether to reach a diplomatic agreement with Iran or “finish them off.” Trump claimed the US now controls the Strait of Hormuz, though Tehran has denied reports from Saudi broadcaster Al Arabiya that it offered to reopen the strait in exchange for the US lifting a naval blockade on its ports. The IRGC-affiliated Tasnim news agency dismissed the reports as fantasy, stating that Iran maintains seven specific conditions that must be met before any arrangement is reached.