Iran may be headed towards a war with the United States as negotiations falter and President Donald Trump continues his military build-up in the Middle East. Representatives from the two countries have met twice in recent weeks with minimal results — with growing alarm that a collapse in diplomacy could spark another regional war. The US military has repositioned multiple air and naval assets close to Iran and there are reports it may strike Tehran as early as Saturday.

Now is the time for Iran to join us on a path that will complete what we’re doing. And if they join us, that’ll be great. If they don’t join us, that’ll be great, too. But it’ll be a very different path. They cannot continue to threaten the stability of the entire region. And they must make a deal. Or if that doesn’t happen, bad things will happen if it doesn’t,” Trump warned during a Board of Peace event on Thursday evening.

According to a source-based update from CBS News, top national security officials have informed Trump about the preparations. But the POTUS has not yet made a final decision about whether to strike Iran. CNN reported that the White House is weighing the risks of escalation and the political and military consequences of restraint — with a high-level meeting held recently to review the situation. The Pentagon is expected to move some of its personnel out of the Middle East in the coming days.

Military build-up in the middle east

According to a recent Reuters report, the US military is preparing for the possibility of a sustained, weeks-long operation against Iran. Officials told the publication last week that the Pentagon was also sending thousands of additional troops, fighter jets and guided-missile destroyers — capable of waging attacks and defending American forces if Trump ordered an attack. The POTUS had also hailed the possibility of regime change in Iran — declaring last Friday that “tremendous power” would prevail in the Middle East.

Trump had moved an aircraft carrier and other military assets to the Persian Gulf last month and suggested the US could attack Iran over the killing of peaceful demonstrators or if Tehran launches mass executions over the protests. A second aircraft carrier group is now off the coast of Morocco — potentially heading to the eastern Mediterranean Sea.

“The president has ordered the continued buildup in the region, including the arrival of the second carrier group. Full forces should be in place by mid-March,” a senior US official told Reuters.

Countries call for evacuation

Several countries have begun issuing calls for immediate evacuation from Iran. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned on Thursday that the window of opportunity may close in a matter of hours amid growing potential for armed conflict in the region.

“Please leave Iran ‌immediately… and do not go to this country ⁠under any circumstances…In a few hours there may be no more possibility to evacuate Poles from Iran,” Tusk ‌said.