'They may attack in two days': Ex-CIA officer warns of imminent US strike on Iran

USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier in the sea waters as seen from Gibraltar, with Northern Africa in the background, February 20, 2026, in this screen grab obtained from a social media video.

• US may launch military strike on Iran early next week
• Troop movements and base adjustments reported in Middle East
• Iran warns all US assets in region would be targets if attacked

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Former CIA officer John Kiriakou has claimed that the United States has taken a final decision to launch a military strike against Iran early next week, even as public messaging from Washington suggests diplomacy remains on the table.

Speaking on the Julian Dorey Podcast, Kiriakou said he was informed by a former intelligence colleague who had visited the White House that an attack could be imminent.

"I have a friend, former CIA officer, who was at the White House this morning talking to his friends, and he says that a decision has been made to attack Iran on Monday or Tuesday," Kiriakou said.

He noted that although the President recently offered Tehran a 10-day window to accept a sweeping proposal, such deadlines may not necessarily delay military action.

"The president yesterday gave the Iranians 10 days to accept our proposals for an end to their ballistic missile programme, an end to their uranium enrichment programme, an end to supporting groups in the Middle East like Hamas and Hezbollah and the Houthis. But he's done this before," Kiriakou observed.

Explaining what he described as a strategic tactic, he added, "Well, he'll give you 10 days, he'll give you two weeks, and then he'll just attack two days into it. He thinks that that keeps people off balance."

Amid these claims, reports suggest that the US has begun repositioning military personnel across key installations in the Middle East. According to the The Jerusalem Post, citing a report by The New York Times, hundreds of servicemen have been moved from the Al Udeid base in Qatar. Logistical adjustments have also reportedly been observed at American facilities in Bahrain — home to the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet — as well as in Iraq, Syria, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.

Officials are said to be concerned that the 30,000 to 40,000 American troops stationed in the region could become primary targets in the event of a direct conflict with Iran. Military analysts have suggested that any such confrontation would differ significantly from previous limited exchanges, particularly if advance warning is not provided.

Iran has issued a stern warning through its UN mission, stating that in the event of an American attack, "all bases, facilities, and assets of the hostile force in the region would constitute legitimate targets."

In response, the US is reportedly strengthening its regional defensive posture, including the repositioning of air defence systems and maintaining aircraft carriers at a safer distance from Iranian territory.

Kiriakou also shed light on what he described as internal divisions within the US administration over potential military action.

"He said that there are battle lines, that the anti-war forces are JD Vance and Tulsi Gabbard," Kiriakou stated, adding that the pro-war faction is reportedly "led by Marco Rubio and includes Pete Hegseth and now the Joint Chiefs of Staff."

Expressing surprise at the military leadership’s alleged stance, Kiriakou said, "Trump has replaced all of the Joint Chiefs this year, this past, in the past 12 months, which I had forgotten. He promoted people that he knew would be politically loyal."

While the administration continues to publicly emphasise diplomacy, reports indicate that internal contingency planning has intensified. Discussions have reportedly expanded beyond targeted strikes to broader objectives, including the possibility of regime change.

The former CIA officer also suggested that recent announcements — including plans to release long-awaited UFO-related documents — may serve as partial distraction. "Probably in part, yeah. About them saying they're going to release the UFO files last night, which I've wanted released forever, but the timing," Kiriakou said.

If tensions escalate further, the situation could have far-reaching consequences not only for West Asia but also for global oil markets — a development closely watched in India, which depends heavily on energy imports from the region.