Mike Baker

At the same time, open-source tracking of regional air traffic shows more than a dozen U.S.-heavy military transport aircraft flying towards the Gulf region in just the past two days.

Now, these are logistics aircraft, moving munitions and medical and support equipment.

In other words, the less visible but essential pieces of any significant operation.

Reports also indicate that non-essential American and British personnel have been evacuated from Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.

That's a precaution that you'd normally take when you're preparing for potential retaliation.

At the same time, the U.S.

military has reinforced Patriot and THAAD missile defense batteries across several Gulf states.

Again, not for messaging, but for protection against an expected response.

Put all of that together and you're looking at a familiar pattern.

This is exactly what you would expect to see if the U.S.

were preparing for the possibility of an air campaign in the Middle East.

Now, this obviously didn't start just today.

On Friday, we told you the U.S.

is moving a carrier strike group toward the region.

The USS Abraham Lincoln is already underway and expected to reach operational position in about a week.

Carrier aviation adds another layer, sea-based strike power, intelligence collection capabilities, and flexibility.

And against that backdrop, the war of words between Washington and Tehran has been heating up again, despite what appeared to be a brief detente last week.

This weekend, President Trump openly called for an end to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's 37-year reign.

In an interview with Politico, the president said, "...it's time to look for new leadership in Iran."

Trump added that the best decision Khamenei ever made was not hanging more than 800 people two days ago.