Iran prepares for potential US war as nuclear talks falter - WSJ

Iran is rushing military and domestic preparations for possible US strikes if nuclear negotiations collapse, amid its most severe regime threat in decades, Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.

Leaders are dispersing command authority via “mosaic defense,” hardening nuclear sites (Isfahan, Pickaxe Mountain tunnels), deploying IRGC naval units to the Strait of Hormuz, and conducting air-defense drills. A Russian warship joined planned exercises near the USS Abraham Lincoln.

“Domestically, over 53,000 arrests and more than 7,000 deaths from recent protests have triggered intensified crackdowns, including monitoring points in Tehran, hospital record hunts, and arrests of dissidents like Narges Mohammadi,” the report said.