CBS News: US may launch strike on Iran this weekend

The United States could carry out a military strike on Iran as early as this weekend, sources with knowledge of the talks told CBS News.

President Donald Trump has discussed the timing of the operation, but no final decision has been made. Military officials have reported readiness for action as soon as February 21, though the schedule could shift.

The conversations have been described as fluid and ongoing, as the White House evaluates the potential for escalation alongside the political and military implications of restraint.

Over the next three days, the Pentagon plans to temporarily reposition some personnel from the Middle East region — mainly to Europe or back to the United States — in preparation for possible Iranian retaliation if the US proceeds with an operation, according to multiple officials.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said at a White House briefing on February 18 that there are "many reasons and arguments that one could make for a strike against Iran", but emphasised that diplomacy remains the president's primary option. 

She declined to comment on whether any potential strike would be coordinated with Israel.

The USS Abraham Lincoln carrier group and its accompanying warships are already stationed in the region, while a second carrier group, the USS Gerald Ford, is making its way to the Middle East.

As of February 18, the Ford was located off the coast of West Africa, according to maritime vessel tracking data. 

In response, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei posted an AI-generated image on February 18 depicting the USS Gerald Ford submerged at the bottom of the ocean.

"The US President constantly says that the US has sent a warship toward Iran. Of course, a warship is a dangerous piece of military hardware," Khamenei's post on X read. "However, more dangerous than that warship is the weapon that can send that warship to the bottom of the sea."

By Jeyhun Aghazada