A sweeping buildup of American military forces across the Middle East has positioned the United States to carry out what could become a prolonged bombing campaign against Iran within weeks — or even days — if Tehran continues to reject President Donald Trump’s demands in ongoing negotiations.

With a second aircraft carrier heading toward the region and hundreds of strike aircraft, support planes, refueling tankers and command platforms already in place, the scope of the deployment is striking. Former Pentagon official and Atlantic Council fellow Alex Plitsas told The Post that the concentration of assets now assembled is unlike anything seen in the region in decades.

“What we have amassed is an unprecedented size combination of land-based attack aircraft, command and control and sea-based platforms,” he said. “We haven’t seen a buildup like this in this region in decades.”

Although last year’s Operation Midnight Hammer lasted just 25 minutes and targeted Iran’s nuclear facilities, officials indicated that any new operation would likely be far more extensive. U.S. officials told The Post that a future campaign could stretch on for days or even weeks.

The current deployment — which includes carrier strike groups, land-based combat aircraft, refueling tankers and command-and-control systems — provides Trump with the ability to initiate what Plitsas described as a sustained air and naval offensive without deploying American ground forces.

“The military footprint tells us that that option is quite large,” he said. “This is sufficient firepower for a sustained and very large air and naval strike campaign.”

Such a level of force would give the administration a broad range of military choices, from limited strikes aimed at weapons facilities and mid-level officials to sweeping decapitation operations targeting Iran’s ruling leadership, including the radical Islamist regime of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

“The only thing that any of this tells us for sure is the range of options on the table and what’s in and what’s out,” Plitsas said.

Trump could ultimately decide not to authorize military action, but officials suggested the window for a diplomatic resolution may be narrowing.

“Diplomacy is always his first option, and Iran would be very wise to make a deal with President Trump and with this administration,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday.

The military surge follows comments Tuesday from Vice President JD Vance, who said Iran has yet to satisfy several of Trump’s negotiating “red lines,” despite what he described as some progress during talks in Geneva.

“It was very clear that the president has set some red lines that the Iranians are not yet willing to actually acknowledge and work through,” Vance told Fox News host Martha MacCallum.

According to a source familiar with White House deliberations, the firm public messaging combined with the scale of the buildup demonstrates Trump’s determination to secure the terms he has outlined.

“The message to the Iranians is crystal clear: Come to the table, meet the red lines and get a deal done — or else,” the person said.

Still, Leavitt acknowledged that major gaps remain between Washington and Tehran.

“But Leavitt said the US and Iran are “still very far apart on some issues.”

“I believe the Iranians are expected to come back to us with some more detail in the next couple of weeks, and so the President will continue to watch us,” she said.

Military analysts have noted that roughly two weeks is also the estimated time it will take for the USS Gerald R. Ford to reach the region.

Trump previously issued Tehran a two-week deadline to advance nuclear negotiations in June 2025, but ultimately ordered strikes on Iranian nuclear sites before that period expired.

A source close to the White House said the current timeline, when viewed alongside the force posture and Vance’s remarks, indicates that military action could be ordered at any moment.

“If you look at the timeline for them to respond the Vice President’s comments and the military buildup, what it tells us is that we are already at the potential for a massive campaign at any point if the president choose to order it,” the source familiar with White House discussions told The Post.

Leavitt said Trump is consulting extensively before making any decision.

“Leavitt said Trump is consulting “many people” to determine how to proceed — “his national security team first and foremost.”

“This is something obviously the President takes seriously,” she said. “He’s always thinking about what’s in the best interest of the United States of America, of our military, of the American people, and that’s how he makes decisions with respect to military action.”

Should strikes be authorized, defense experts say the initial phase would likely focus on neutralizing Iran’s capacity to retaliate.

“What you need to do initially is take out the missiles, the launchers and the drones and drone factors, if you can, right away to prevent retaliatory strikes against US forces and the Israelis in the region,” Plitsas said.

From there, the U.S. would face a spectrum of options — from targeting officials involved in January’s crackdown on protesters to potentially eliminating top leaders in Tehran.

“With so many options on the table, there are more questions than answers.”

“If it happens, it’s going to be weeks of sustained campaigns,” the source familiar with discussions told The Post. “Questions are who survives the opening strikes? If that happens, who’s in charge? You know, when do we stop?”

“Is just a [Venezuelan dictator Nicolas] Maduro-type thing where we do a quick, fast decapitation, take out the missiles, everything else, and negotiate with what’s left?” the person added.

Plitsas cautioned that regional dynamics further complicate the picture. While Washington’s principal concern remains Iran’s nuclear program and its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, Israel is focused more urgently on Tehran’s expanding ballistic missile arsenal.

“At some point, you go from having sufficient missiles to serve as a deterrent to building a stockpile that’s sufficient for war,” he said. “When they cross that threshold … it’s going to invite an Israeli strike.”

Plitsas estimated that Iran’s missile inventory is growing by roughly 300 missiles per month and could eventually overwhelm defensive systems.

Regional allies are also preoccupied with Iranian-backed proxy forces, creating multiple pressure points that a nuclear-only agreement would not resolve.

“Even if the US strikes a great nuclear deal, if that does not extend into a deal over the ballistic missiles as well, that doesn’t mean the Israelis are going to be satisfied,” the US source familiar told The Post. “If it doesn’t include the proxy groups, other regional partners may not be satisfied either.”

The source warned that limiting negotiations strictly to nuclear matters could heighten tensions, particularly if Iran continues accelerating missile production.

“Their continued production of ballistic missiles is effectively serving as a countdown clock toward a potential strike,” the person said. “The smartest thing that they could do at this point is freeze ballistic missile production.”

Plitsas also suggested Tehran may be underestimating Trump’s readiness to act.

“If there’s a question about his intentionality and somebody doesn’t think he’s going to do it, they are very sadly mistaken,” he said. “It will come down to whether the president believes that there is still room to negotiate. Or if at this point they’re wasting their time.”