US has not abandoned attempt to attack Iran

Officials in the Middle East are increasingly worried the United States will strike Iran in the coming days, as U.S. warplanes and aircraft carriers approach the Persian Gulf, The New York Times reported.

As of Monday, the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln, accompanied by three warships equipped with Tomahawk missiles, entered the Central Command’s area of responsibility in the western Indian Ocean, said a U.S. official.

"If the White House were to order attacks on Iran, the carrier could, in theory, take military action within a day or two," the report reads.

The United States has already sent a dozen additional F-15E attack planes to the region to strengthen strike aircraft numbers, according to U.S. officials.

Senior U.S. officials will present new proposals regarding the use of force against Iran to U.S. President Donald Trump later this week, Axios reported.

According to sources, "Trump came close to ordering a strike on" targets in Iran earlier this month over protests in the country. "White House officials say an attack is still on the table, though the protests have largely been suppressed," Axios reported.