U.S. Surges Forces Toward Middle East as Trump Threatens Iranian Bridges, Power Plants

Special-operations units, fighter jets, bombers and medical teams are being positioned as Washington weighs a broader military response to Iran

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Worthy News) – The United States is rapidly moving additional military forces, aircraft, medical personnel and weaponry toward the Middle East, giving President Donald Trump expanded options for a potentially wider campaign against Iran, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The buildup follows a deadly series of Iranian attacks that killed three American soldiers at a U.S. base in Jordan. A fourth service member was killed in Iraq during a controlled detonation of an Iranian attack drone.

Special-operations forces have deployed from bases in the United States, while additional fighter squadrons are being positioned across the region, the WSJ reported. Long-range bombers based in the United States and Britain have also been placed on heightened readiness.

More than 150 military medical personnel have reportedly arrived at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, the primary hospital for treating American troops wounded in Middle Eastern combat operations.

The movements do not necessarily mean a major new offensive has been ordered. However, they suggest the Pentagon is preparing for the possibility that Trump could dramatically expand operations against Iranian military and infrastructure targets.

“The big idea here is to give the president and the secretary [of defense] the most flexibility, and the force the most options to present to them,” retired Gen. Joseph Votel, a former commander of U.S. Central Command, told the WSJ.

The White House said Trump “always has all options at his disposal,” while U.S. Central Command declined to discuss specific troop movements because of operational-security concerns.

Trump Warns Iran’s Infrastructure Could Be Destroyed

Trump intensified his warning to Tehran on Wednesday, threatening to order the bombing of an Iranian bridge or power plant each time Iran attacks a commercial vessel traveling through the Strait of Hormuz.

The president has also threatened strikes against other critical Iranian infrastructure as Tehran continues targeting commercial shipping and American military positions across the region.

Trump’s warning represents a potentially significant expansion of the U.S. campaign, which has largely focused in recent weeks on Iranian military command centers, naval capabilities, drone-storage facilities, aircraft hangars and logistical infrastructure.

The United States has already struck bridges that CENTCOM says are used by Iran’s military to resupply naval forces near the Strait of Hormuz. Trump’s latest remarks, however, raised the possibility of strikes against a broader range of infrastructure if Tehran continues attacking ships.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that any attack on the country’s infrastructure would bring a forceful response.

“Any aggression against Iran, including our infrastructure, will compel a powerful and decisive response,” Araghchi said in a social-media statement.

Military officials have cautioned that infrastructure may only be lawfully targeted when it serves a legitimate military purpose and when an attack complies with the laws governing armed conflict.

Twelfth Consecutive Day of U.S. Strikes

U.S. Central Command said Wednesday that American forces had carried out a 12th consecutive day of strikes against targets inside Iran.

“The mission will continue to further degrade Iran’s ability to threaten civilian mariners and commercial vessels transiting regional waters,” CENTCOM said.

Recent American attacks have targeted Iranian military-operations centers, maritime capabilities, drone-storage sites, aircraft facilities and supply infrastructure supporting Iranian forces near the Strait of Hormuz.

The strait remains one of the world’s most strategically important waterways. Before the war, roughly one-fifth of global oil supplies passed through the narrow shipping corridor.

Iran has continued firing on commercial vessels in the strait while launching missiles and drones against American forces and U.S. allies throughout the Middle East.

The Iranian government has shown no indication that it intends to retreat, with senior officials promising additional attacks against American forces and regional partners.

Trump Again Raises Pickaxe Mountain Strike

Trump has also renewed threats against Pickaxe Mountain, where Iran is suspected of concealing nuclear-enrichment centrifuges in deeply buried tunnels.

“We’ll be hitting that probably pretty soon,” Trump said Tuesday while meeting Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at the White House.

Israeli intelligence reportedly believes Iran moved thousands of centrifuges into tunnels beneath the mountain following the 12-day Israel-Iran war in June 2025. The intelligence was reportedly shared with Washington amid concerns that Tehran could rapidly rebuild its uranium-enrichment program.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the administration possesses numerous options should Iran refuse to cooperate.

“The president has many options available to him if they continue to insist on not being cooperative,” Rubio told reporters during a summit in Manila.

Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have maintained that military action is necessary to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

Bombers and Fighter Jets Positioned

Among the aircraft reportedly being prepared are B-1 long-range bombers stationed in Britain.

The military has also moved aerial-refueling tankers, F-16 fighter jets from Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany, and F-35 stealth fighters from RAF Lakenheath in England.

Jordan and Israel are considered likely locations for some of the newly deployed aircraft.

The United States already has tens of thousands of troops stationed throughout the Middle East. The U.S. Navy reportedly has 17 ships operating in the region, including two aircraft-carrier strike groups, 11 accompanying destroyers and a Marine Corps expeditionary unit.

Special-operations forces played a role in combat search-and-rescue missions during the opening phase of the conflict, known as Operation Epic Fury, but are capable of conducting a wide range of reconnaissance, rescue and direct-action missions.

Houthis Open Second Maritime Front

The additional military capacity could also be directed against Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen, who have threatened to impose a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia.

Trump warned Tuesday that the United States would act if the Houthis resumed attacks against vessels in the Red Sea.

“If something like that happens, we take care of it,” Trump said. “We’ve done that with the Houthis before.”

On Wednesday, a tanker sailing in the Red Sea off southern Saudi Arabia was struck by an unidentified projectile, sparking a fire, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency.

The Houthis later claimed they attacked two Saudi oil tankers with ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones.

Both Saudi-flagged vessels had reportedly loaded oil products at the Saudi port of Yanbu, which Riyadh has increasingly used to bypass the Strait of Hormuz. The tankers were traveling south toward the Bab al-Mandeb Strait between Yemen and Djibouti.

The attacks underscore the possibility that the conflict could threaten both major maritime gateways connecting the Persian Gulf, Red Sea and global energy markets.

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