US military strike on Iran could become weeks-long war: Report

A potential US military operation against Iran would likely be a “massive, weeks-long campaign” resembling full-scale war rather than a limited strike, Axios reported, citing sources.

According to the news outlet, any operation would be broader in scope — and more existential for Tehran’s leadership — than last year’s 12-day conflict sparked by Israeli strikes on Iranian targets.

The outlet citing sources also said a future campaign could involve joint US-Israeli coordination and carry sweeping implications for regional stability and the remainder of President Donald Trump’s term.

“We cannot have a nuclear-armed Iran,” U. Energy Secretary Chris Wright told reporters in Paris. “One way or the other, we are going to end, deter Iran’s march towards a nuclear weapon.”

Vice President JD Vance underscored that force remains an option if talks collapse.

“We do have a very powerful military — the president has shown a willingness to use it,” Vance said in an interview with Fox News, adding that Trump has set “red lines that the Iranians are not yet willing to actually acknowledge and work through.”

Meanwhile, Iran and Russia are set to conduct joint naval drills in the Sea of Oman and northern Indian Ocean on Thursday (Febraury 19).

“The joint naval exercise of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Russia will take place tomorrow,” Rear Admiral Hassan Maghsoudloo was quoted as saying by Iranian media. “The aim is to strengthen maritime security and to deepen relations between the navies of the two countries.”

Earlier this week, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards launched exercises in the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz — a key artery for global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments.

Iranian officials have periodically threatened to block the strait during times of heightened tensions, though it has never been closed.

“We were able to reach a general agreement on a set of guiding principles, based on which we will proceed from now on and move toward drafting a potential agreement,” Araghchi told state television after talks with US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.

The US delegation is led by Witkoff, with involvement from Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. Trump said earlier this week that Iran “wants to make a deal” and indicated he would be indirectly involved.

Previous negotiations collapsed following unprecedented Israeli strikes on Iran in June 2025, which triggered a 12-day war that briefly drew in the United States.

At the center of the standoff remains the question of whether Iran’s nuclear ambitions can be curbed through negotiation — or whether Washington will attempt to enforce its red lines through force.