US weighs 'precision strikes' on Iranian officials as military build-up surges, sources say

US has increased total supply of interceptors that may be needed for a fresh round of strikes on Iran, former US official says

26.01.2026

By Sean Mathews

Source:https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/us-weighs-precision-strikes-iranian-officials-military-build-surges-sources

The US is weighing precision strikes on "high-value" Iranian officials and commanders who it deems responsible for the deaths of protesters, a Gulf official familiar with the discussions told Middle East Eye.

The strikes could come as early as this week, but that timeline could shift, MEE was told on Monday.

Discussions within the administration have been described as “chaotic”, with a debate over what the repercussions will be in terms of Iranian retaliation.

The Trump administration has toyed with attacking Iran for nearly a month on the pretext of the brutal crackdown on demonstrators that has seen thousands killed by government security forces.

After calling on demonstrators to "take over" state institutions, President Donald Trump backed down and said the “killing has stopped”. Trump’s decision to de-escalate came as Gulf states, namely Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman, lobbied against strikes.

While some reports framed Trump's remarks as drawing a curtain on US intervention, former US officials and analysts told MEE they appeared to signal a pause.

Trump moved up and down the escalation ladder in a similar fashion with Venezuela, before finally ordering an attack on the Latin American country that resulted in President Nicolas Maduro's abduction and detention in the US.

A former US intelligence official told MEE that their understanding of conversations within the administration is that Trump has not given up on pushing for “regime change” in Tehran.

Randa Slim, head of the Stimson Center’s Middle East programme, previously told MEE that Trump’s de-escalation was “temporary”.

'Total supplies' building in Mena

The US is now in a stronger position militarily to launch an attack on Iran than at the beginning of January.

A former US official told MEE that the US has been working to replenish supplies of missile interceptors exhausted during the 12-day war with Iran in June and that “total supplies” had moved up. The US is still constrained, as it provides supplies to Ukraine.

Trump has sent more warplanes, air defence systems and battleships into the Mena region.

The buildup appears to be reaching its peak.

US Central Command said on Monday that the Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier was in the Middle East after sailing from the South China Sea.

“We have a big force going toward Iran. I’d rather not see anything happen, but we’re watching them very closely,” Trump said on Thursday evening on his return to Washington from Davos, Switzerland.

The Abraham Lincoln carries F-35 warplanes and F/A-18 jet fighters, in addition to EA-18G Growler electronic-warfare planes. It is also accompanied by guided-missile destroyers.

Open-source flight trackers have also reported that the US has built up a squadron of F-15 warplanes at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan.

The build-up of warplanes in Jordan would give the US options, as Gulf states have imposed a ban on the US using their airspace or facilities to launch strikes on Iran, current and former US and Arab officials told MEE. That ban has been in place since April 2025, MEE first reported.

Reuters has cited a senior Iranian official saying that Tehran warned that the US’s Arab partners would face an attack if US bases in their countries were used to target Iran. Iranian commentators close to Tehran have amplified this warning in public.

Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, and Turkey have all been named in background statements as opposing a US attack on Iran. Israeli media reports have suggested that the UAE and Jordan support an attack.

UAE, Iran and Israel

The UAE’s ruling al-Nahyan family has a higher risk threshold for intervention than its Gulf neighbours and is wary of showing daylight with Israel, which is in favour of regime change in Tehran, an Arab diplomat and Gulf source previously told MEE.

However, others who have been briefed by officials in Abu Dhabi tell MEE that the UAE is opposed to military intervention.

In a sign that Abu Dhabi may feel it hasn’t done enough to distance itself from a potential US strike, the UAE foreign ministry said on Monday that it will not let its airspace, territory or territorial waters be used for any military actions against Iran.

Iran responded to the US bombing of its nuclear facilities in June by launching an attack on al-Udeid air base in Qatar. The Iranians gave the Americans advance notice, and the damage was limited.

This time, experts say, with Tehran facing massive protests, a US attack could be seen as an existential threat to the Islamic Republic, and it may respond more forcefully by targeting US bases across the region or shutting down the Straight of Hormuz, through which 20 percent of global oil flows.

The US attack capped a 12-day war between Israel and Iran that saw the American and Israeli air forces dominate Iran’s skies while Tehran fought back by shooting ballistic missiles at Tel Aviv and Haifa.

While the vast majority were shot down by US and Israeli air defence systems, a significant number made it through and hit the heart of Tel Aviv, including right up until a ceasefire was agreed. The US faced a supply crunch and even asked Saudi Arabia to agree to release Thaad interceptors that it had purchased, but Riyadh refused.

The Wall Street Journal has reported that the US is sending additional Patriot and Thaad air defence systems to the region.