US forces seize third Iran-linked sanctioned oil tanker

US President Donald Trump prefers diplomacy as a first option on Iran but is prepared to use lethal force if necessary, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Tuesday.

"President Trump's first option is always diplomacy. But as he has shown ... he is willing to use the lethal force of the United States military if necessary," Leavitt told reporters at the White House. "The president is always the final decision maker around here."

The United States has moved more than 150 military aircraft to bases in Europe and the Middle East in recent days, satellite imagery and flight-tracking data reviewed by The Washington Post showed, after nuclear talks with Iran ended last week without a deal.

The newspaper said the buildup includes cargo planes, refueling aircraft and combat jets, and marks one of the largest US force deployments in the region in more than two decades. It added that the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford was near Crete, joining the USS Abraham Lincoln, as President Donald Trump has warned of possible military action if no agreement is reached on Iran’s nuclear program.

US defense officials acknowledged an increased flow of forces but declined to discuss operational details, the report said.

Iran must be ready for war to prevent conflict, former Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ramin Mehmanparast said, as Tehran prepares for a third round of indirect nuclear talks with the United States in Geneva on Thursday.

Mehmanparast said Iran was fully prepared for a fair and respectful agreement and that “the ball is in the Americans’ court,” but rejected the idea that military threats could extract concessions.

“If we want war not to happen, we must be 100% ready for war,” he said, adding that Iran’s armed forces were at the highest level of readiness and that Tehran would not yield under pressure.

It is unlikely that the US and Israel could access Tehran’s traffic and surveillance cameras unless from the state TV, the head of the Tehran city council said on Tuesday.

Mehdi Chamran said the cameras were tested before being put into use and that even cameras installed in municipal buildings are checked to ensure that nothing can be transmitted externally.

“When much of the camera footage is broadcast on television, it is naturally possible for them to view that footage as well,” he said, adding that it was clear where footage is transmitted and that the process is monitored.

Iran is close to a deal to buy supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles from China, six people familiar with the talks told Reuters, as the United States deploys naval forces near Iran ahead of possible strikes.

The deal for Chinese-made CM-302 missiles is near completion, the sources said, though no delivery date has been set. The missiles have a range of about 290 km and are designed to fly low and fast to evade ship defenses, which experts say would strengthen Iran’s strike capability and pose a threat to US naval forces in the region.

Talks that began at least two years ago sped up after last year’s 12-day war between Israel and Iran, the sources said, adding that senior Iranian military and government officials traveled to China as negotiations advanced. Iran’s foreign ministry said Tehran has military and security agreements with its allies and that now is an appropriate time to use them.