Mike Baker

This comes after the president seemed to pull back from ordering strikes just last week, even as Iran's regime continues a sweeping crackdown on protesters at home.

Now, the language is what makes this reporting stand out.

Administration officials say Trump has used the word decisive again and again in internal discussions, an indication that he's not interested in just symbolic or limited action.

That phrasing has reportedly pushed Pentagon planners and White House advisers to refine a wide range of military options, from a more constrained strike against Iranian military infrastructure to broader actions.

The military posture in the region is shifting in ways that would give the president a variety of options if he chooses to act.

An aircraft carrier group is now en route toward the Persian Gulf, bringing with it a full complement, of course, of strike aircraft and destroyers and electronic warfare capabilities.

Additional air and missile defenses are being moved into place, including Patriot and THAAD systems designed to blunt any possible Iranian retaliation against U.S.

forces or regional partners.

U.S.

Central Command confirmed that an entire squadron of F-15 fighter jets has arrived in the Middle East.

These aircraft are workhorses of the U.S.

Air Force, capable of conducting air-to-air combat, deep strike missions, and precision attacks against hardened targets.

They also played a key role last year in intercepting Iranian drones during a large-scale attack against Israel, highlighting their importance in regional air defense as well as offensive operations.

All of this military movement is unfolding against a grim backdrop inside Iran.

Death toll estimates from the regime's crackdown on protesters vary widely, but U.S.

officials now suggest the true number may be far higher than initially reported and more than the regime in Tehran is willing to admit.

And yes, that is quite the statement of the obvious.

While early figures place the death toll in the low thousands, American officials say assessments from international organizations point to numbers that could reach as high as 18,000.

The administration has framed its pressure on Tehran, both military and economic, as a response to that violence.

President Trump has publicly argued that U.S.