Ex-CIA officer John Kiriakou claims US plans to launch attack on Iran by 23 or 24 Feb: Report

Ex-CIA operative John Kiriakou has asserted that Washington has finalized plans to launch a military offensive against Iran as early as next week. During an appearance on the Julian Dorey Podcast, Kiriakou disclosed that a former colleague who was recently inside the White House indicated a strike is looming, regardless of the official timelines released by the administration.

Kiriakou said: "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."

He pointed out that although President Donald Trump publicly granted Tehran a 10-day ultimatum to agree to a broad diplomatic deal, such public deadlines frequently serve as strategic diversions. Corroborating these assertions of pending hostilities, the US has already begun the tactical relocation of military staff across various Middle Eastern bases for classified assignments. This maneuvering occurs during heightened fears of a direct kinetic engagement with the Islamic Republic.

"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 commented.

Explaining the strategy behind the shifting deadlines, he said: "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."

According to a New York Times report, hundreds of personnel have been moved from Qatar’s Al Udeid facility. Parallel logistics changes were spotted across the American base network in Bahrain—home to the Navy’s 5th Fleet—plus sites in Iraq, Syria, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and the UAE.

Federal officials are reportedly concerned that the 30,000 to 40,000 American troops stationed in the theater may become primary targets for Tehran should a full-scale war erupt. Defense analysts believe such a clash would vary significantly from the June 2025 Al Udeid strike, wherein Iranian leaders gave Washington prior warning.

A Jerusalem Post report highlighted a stern warning from the Iranian mission to the UN, which stated that, in case of an American attack, "all bases, facilities, and assets of the hostile force in the region would constitute legitimate targets."

The former intelligence officer further outlined the internal political friction fueling this march toward war, naming influential figures on both sides of the interventionist divide. Washington is reportedly bolstering its regional defense by deploying advanced air defense batteries to the Middle East to protect its assets. This reinforced posture includes keeping two aircraft carrier strike groups positioned far from Iranian shores to prevent them from becoming vulnerable targets for counterattacks.