STORY: Iran and the United States are sliding rapidly towards military conflict as hopes fade for a diplomatic solution to their standoff over Tehran’s nuclear program, officials on both sides and diplomats across the Gulf and Europe say.

Iran’s Gulf neighbours and its enemy Israel now consider a conflict to be more likely than a settlement, these sources say, with Washington building up one of its biggest military deployments in the region since the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

Israel's government believes Tehran and Washington are at an impasse and is making preparations for possible joint military action with the United States, though no decision has been made yet on whether to carry out such an operation, said a source familiar with the planning.

It would be the second time the U.S. and Israel have attacked Iran in less than a year, following U.S. and Israeli airstrikes against military and nuclear facilities last June.

Regional officials say oil-producing Gulf countries are preparing for a possible military confrontation that they fear could spin out of control and destabilize the Middle East.

Two Israeli officials told Reuters they believe the gaps between Washington and Tehran are unbridgeable and that the chances of a near‑term military escalation are high.

Some regional officials say Tehran is dangerously miscalculating by holding out for concessions, with U.S. President Donald Trump boxed in by his own military buildup - unable to scale it back without losing face if there is no firm commitment from Iran to abandon its nuclear weapons ambitions.

"Both sides are sticking to their guns," said Alan Eyre, a former U.S. diplomat and Iran specialist, adding that nothing meaningful can emerge "unless the U.S. and Iran walk back from their red lines - which I don't think they will."

"What Trump can't do is assemble all this military, and then come back with a 'so‑so' deal and pull out the military. I think he thinks he'll lose face," he said. "If he attacks, it's going to get ugly quickly."

Two rounds of Iran-U.S. talks have stalled on core issues, from uranium enrichment to missiles and sanctions relief.

When Omani mediators delivered an envelope from the U.S. side containing missile‑related proposals, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi refused even to open it and returned it, a source familiar with the talks said.

After talks in Geneva on Tuesday, Araqchi said the sides had agreed on “guiding principles," but the White House said there was still distance between them.

Iran is expected to submit a written proposal in the coming days, a U.S. official said, and Araqchi said on Friday he expected to have a draft counterproposal ready within days.

But Trump, who has sent aircraft carriers, warships and jets to the Middle East, warned Iran on Thursday it must make a deal over its nuclear program or "really bad things" will happen.

He appeared to set a deadline of 10 to 15 days, drawing a threat from Tehran to retaliate against U.S. bases in the region if attacked. The rising tensions have pushed up oil prices.

U.S. officials say Trump has yet to make up his mind about using military force although he acknowledged on Friday that he could order a limited strike to try to force Iran into a deal.

"I guess I can say I am considering that," he told reporters.

The possible timing of an attack is unclear. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is due to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on February 28 to discuss Iran. A senior U.S. official said it would be mid-March before all U.S. forces were in place.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

VIDEO SHOWS: FILE OF U.S. MILITARY PRESENCE IN THE MIDDLE EAST

COMPLETE SCRIPT TO FOLLOW

SHOWS: EILAT, ISRAEL (FILE - JANUARY 30, 2026) (VIDEO OBTAINED BY REUTERS - Access all)

1. U.S. MILITARY DESTROYER DOCKING AT ISRAEL'S EILAT PORT

2. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE ABROAD U.S. MILITARY DESTROYER

3. U.S. MILITARY DESTROYER ON ITS WAY TO DOCKING AT ISRAEL'S EILAT PORT

AT SEA (FILE - JANUARY 30, 2026) (DVIDS - Access all) (ORIGINALLY SHOT IN PORTRAIT)

4. CREW AND AIRCRAFT ON FLIGHT DECK OF USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN

5. AIRCRAFT TAKING OFF

6. AIRCRAFT LANDING ON DECK OF USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN

7. AIRCRAFT MANEUVERING ON DECK

AT SEA (FILE - JANUARY 31, 2026) (DVIDS - Access all)

8. VARIOUS OF HELICOPTER HOVERING OVER DECK OF USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN AND PICKING UP TWO LARGE BURLAP SUPPLY SACKS

ARABIAN SEA (RECENT - FEBRUARY 6, 2026) (DVIDS - Access All) (MUTE)

9. STILL PHOTOGRAPH OF USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN AIRCRAFT CARRIER AND GUIDED-MISSILE DESTROYER USS FRANK E. PETERSEN JR.

10. STILL PHOTOGRAPH OF GUIDED MISSILE DESTROYERS, USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN, CARGO SHIPS AND FAST RESPONSE CUTTER SHIPS

11. STILL PHOTOGRAPH OF AIRCRAFT FROM LINCOLN'S AIR WING FLYING IN FORMATION

12. STILL OF USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN CARRIER STRIKE GROUP SAILING IN FORMATION

AT SEA (RECENT - FEBRUARY 7, 2026) (DVIDS - Access all)

13. AIRCRAFT APPROACHING USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN AIRCRAFT CARRIER

14. VARIOUS OF PLANE LANDING

15. MILITARY PERSONNEL SALUTING

16. PLANE ON TARMAC OF USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN

17. JET TAKING OFF

18. PLANE TAKING OFF

AT SEA (FILE - FEBRUARY 7, 2026) (STEVE WITKOFF VIA X - Broadcast: Part no resales / Part no archive / Part must on-screen courtesy Steve Witkoff via X Digital: Part no resales / Part no archive / Part must on-screen courtesy Steve Witkoff via X) (MUTE)

19. STILL PHOTO OF USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN AIRCRAFT CARRIER

AT SEA (RECENT - FEBRUARY 15, 2026) (EUROPEAN UNION/COPERNICUS SENTINEL-2 - Must on-screen courtesy European Union/Copernicus Sentinel-2) (MUTE)

20. VARIOUS SATELLITE IMAGES SHOWING USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN AIRCRAFT CARRIER OFF COAST OF OMAN

MILDENHALL, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (FEBRUARY 20, 2026) (GIRLSTHATLOVEPLANES - Must on-screen courtesy Girlsthatloveplanes) (ORIGINALLY SHOT IN PORTRAIT)

21. U.S. AIR FORCE C-5M SUPER GALAXY AIRCRAFT LANDING AT RAF MILDENHALL

TERCEIRA ISLAND, AZORES, PORTUGAL (FEBRUARY 21, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

22. VARIOUS OF U.S. MILITARY AIRCRAFT ON THE TARMAC OF LAJES AIR BASE

SOUDA BAY, CRETE ISLAND, GREECE (FEBRUARY 23, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

23. VARIOUS OF THE USS GERALD R. FORD AIRCRAFT CARRIER ARRIVING AT SOUDA BAY IN CRETE, WHICH HOSTS STRATEGIC FACILITIES FOR GREECE, THE U.S. AND THE NATO MILITARY ALLIANCE IN THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN, AS IT HEADS TOWARDS THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN