Democrat lawmaker says US, allies may need strikes on Iran

US strikes have set Iran’s nuclear program back by an estimated one to two years, with Tehran now focusing on fortifying underground facilities rather than quickly restarting enrichment, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.

Satellite imagery shows soil and concrete being poured over tunnel entrances and deep networks expanded beneath mountains near key sites, including areas close to Natanz Nuclear Facility.

“Analysts say Iran appears to be prioritizing survivability over speed, reinforcing hardened locations instead of visibly rebuilding centrifuge halls at Natanz or Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant,” the report said.

While experts believe Tehran may have concealed equipment that could support a smaller rebuilt operation in the future, there is no clear sign it has resumed uranium enrichment or moved toward a rapid weapons “breakout,” the report added.

Senior aides to President Donald Trump privately argue that it would be politically easier to sell a war with Iran if Israel launches the first strike and Tehran retaliates against US forces, even as the administration masses firepower in the region and dispatches negotiators to Geneva to test one last diplomatic route, politico reported on Wednesday.

Despite this political calculus, the likeliest military scenario under discussion is a jointly launched US-Israel operation, even as special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son‑in‑law Jared Kushner head to Geneva on Thursday to try to reach a deal with Tehran over its nuclear program, the report said.

A senior official involved in the talks said those closest to the president still expect, “we’re going to bomb them,” and options range from limited “leverage” strikes on nuclear and missile sites to broader attacks that could include a “decapitation strike” against Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and top IRGC commanders, the report added.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday that Iran continues to pose a “very grave threat” to the US, citing both its nuclear ambitions and extensive missile and naval capabilities.

“Iran poses a very grave threat to the United States, and has for a very long time…First and foremost, after their nuclear program was obliterated, they were told not to try to restart it, and here they are. You can see them always trying to rebuild elements of it. They're not enriching right now, but they're trying to get to the point where they ultimately can,” Rubio said.

“The other thing I would point you to, however, is that Iran possesses a very large number of ballistic missiles, particularly short range ballistic missiles, that threaten the United States and our bases in the region, and our partners in the region, and all of our bases in the UAE and Qatar and Bahrain. And they also possess naval assets that threaten shipping and try to threaten the US Navy. So I want everybody to understand that. And beyond just the nuclear program, they possess these conventional weapons that are solely designed to attack America and attack Americans if they so choose to do so,” he added.

Iran has sharply ramped up loading oil onto tankers at its main export terminal as the United States builds up military forces in the Middle East, a move that analysts say could signal Tehran’s efforts to secure crude before any potential disruption to exports, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday.

Shipments from Iran’s Kharg Island terminal surged to about 20.1 million barrels over February 15–20, nearly triple the volume handled in the same period a month earlier and equivalent to more than 3 million barrels a day – far above the country’s usual export pace, Bloomberg reported.

The rush to load tankers underscores Iran’s urgency to move crude before any potential disruption and highlights mounting geopolitical risk for global oil markets as tensions with Washington continue to simmer, the report added.

US Vice President JD Vance said on Wednesday that Washington has seen evidence suggesting Iran is attempting to rebuild its nuclear program, underscoring the stakes ahead of scheduled talks.

"Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon if they try to rebuild a nuclear weapon that causes problems for us, and in fact, we've seen evidence that they have tried to do exactly that. So the President sending those negotiators to try to address that problem, as the President has said repeatedly, he wants to address that problem diplomatically. But of course, the President has other options as well," he said at the White House.