On January 16, the focus of international military observers' attention was not only on the US Navy starting a large-scale naval force redeployment process, but also on important revelations about the change in the Pentagon's tactical doctrine towards the Middle East's "fireplace".
In parallel with the deployment of equipment, US strategic planners are urgently reviewing a series of conflict scenarios. A senior military source affirmed: If US President Donald Trump is forced to make a decision to launch a military campaign in the current context, the nature of the campaign will be completely different from previous activities.
Instead of maintaining a deterrent state or carrying out limited retaliatory strikes, the new options being considered will tend to be "proactive attacks".
This shift in focus shows that the US may not wait to intercept threats, but be ready to take strong preemptive strikes to neutralize enemy capabilities as soon as it sees signs of danger beyond control.
To realize this new combat capability, the force transfer process - which is said to include at least one aircraft carrier combat group - is taking place urgently.
Military officials estimate that this process will take at least 1 week to complete. The next 7 days are considered extremely sensitive times, when strategic equipment is in place and combat scenarios are completed based on each move of the Iranian government.
Besides the attacking spearhead, the US also does not ignore the defensive factor.
On January 16, plans to deploy more missile defense systems to the area were also activated. The goal is to establish a multi-layered security shield to protect allies Israel and US bases from the risk of ballistic missile attacks.
This move shows that the US is preparing for a higher-level conflict scenario, with a ready-to-overwhelm posture instead of simply being present to show off.
