Donald Trump is reportedly on the verge of launching a war with Iran that could begin at any time with an attack on the Middle Eastern country.
Sources told Axios that the erratic 79-year-old president is growing tired of ongoing nuclear negotiations with Iran and may follow through on his threat to launch a large-scale military operation.
Trump, who aspires to win the Nobel Peace Prize, has previously threatened to attack Iran amid a government-led crackdown that has killed thousands of protesters during pro-democracy demonstrations. While those protests have largely abated, the president is said to remain frustrated by the deadlock in talks to persuade Tehran to curb its nuclear program.
“The boss is fed up. Some around him are warning him not to go to war with Iran, but I think there’s a 90 percent chance we’ll see dynamic action in the coming weeks,” a Trump adviser told Axios.
On February 11, 2026, women marched in Tehran holding signs depicting Donald Trump with blood on their hands. The demonstration was held to commemorate the 47th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution. / – / AFP via Getty Images
Israel would likely assist the United States in any war with Iran, similar to what would have been the case if Trump carried out air strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities at the end of a 12-day Israeli-led war in June 2025.
Any U.S.-led war with Iran could completely destabilize the entire region. The prospect of the United States being embroiled in a potentially unpopular war in the Middle East could also have disastrous consequences for Republicans in November’s midterm elections, where they are expected to suffer heavy losses.
Sources said an attack on Iran could be far more widespread in scope and duration than an attack on Venezuela as the government seeks to quickly arrest Nicolás Maduro, who faces “narco-terrorism” charges in New York.
The USS Abraham Lincoln, escorted by two military supply ships and two U.S. Coast Guard vessels in the Arabian Sea, was used by Trump as an intimidation tactic against Iran. /U.S. Central Command/Handout/Anadolu, Getty Images
As the president continues to pressure Iran, Trump has been deploying warships, such as the USS Abraham Lincoln, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, to the Middle East in a show of force.
Hundreds of fighter jets, including dozens of F-35s, F-22s and F-16s, are also heading to the region as part of the fleet, raising more concerns that Trump could follow through on his threat of an all-out war with Iran, Axios reported.
Last week, Trump made clear that he was prepared to increase pressure on Iran over its nuclear program. “Either we make a deal or we’re going to have to take some very tough measures like we did last time,” Trump told Axios.
On Tuesday, Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, a former real estate tycoon with no diplomatic experience, and Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of the president’s daughter Ivanka, led the U.S. delegation in Geneva for talks on the Iran nuclear deal.
Iran-US nuclear negotiations involving Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are ongoing under the mediation of the Omani state. / Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Oman/Anadolu, Getty Images)
While both sides say talks are positive, there’s no real evidence that a deal is close.
Vice President Vance told Fox News that talks were “going very well,” but added: “In other areas, it’s clear that the president has set some red lines that the Iranians haven’t been willing to actually acknowledge and address. So we’re going to keep working on that.”
A U.S. official echoed those remarks, telling NBC News, “Progress has been made, but there are still many details that need to be discussed.”
The Daily Beast has reached out to the White House for comment.
