A senior U.S. military official said on Sunday that Washington intends to step up operations against Iran's hostile activities in the Middle East, independent of the Iran nuclear deal.
The U.S. is already carrying out operations in Iraq and Syria to counter attempts by pro-Iranian militias to be entrenched in the region.
American drones have notably carried out several strikes in recent months against pro-Iranian targets.
Alexus Grinkevich, a senior official in the U.S. Army's Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees the Middle East, has warned Iran of its belligerent tendencies.
"Don't test us, our objective is to deter Iran," the U.S. official said, alluding to the attempts to build a regional alliance against Iran which he explained would not be a "NATO of the Middle East," but an information sharing structure.
Late last week, an Israeli security official said that one of the main issues discussed in the meeting between Defense Minister Benny Gantz and U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Thursday, was the crafting of a reliable and robust military option against Iran, which would see the Israelis and the Americans acting hand in hand.
Close diplomatic ties between the U.S. and Israel spark alarm in Tehran. Iran sees the IDF cooperating with the U.S. CENTCOM, and saw its chiefs meeting in Israel shortly after U.S. President Joe Biden's visit there last month.
The series of official visits could indicate a joint U.S.-Israeli plan is brewing, meant to push uranium enrichment production back by military or other means.
During Biden's visit in Israel, he and Prime Minister Yair Lapid signed the Jerusalem Declaration, in which the U.S. confirmed its commitment never to allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons, and claimed that it "is prepared to use all elements of its national power to ensure that outcome."
Especially in light of the budding relations between Iran and Russia, the U.S. is closely watching Iran's advancements. Israel, as well, is on high alert as it views Iranian initiatives to attack through neighboring countries.