Operations against Iran could last at least 100 days, Politico writes

The US Department of State is adding resources to evacuate stranded Americans in the Middle East, and the Pentagon is scrambling to increase the number of US troops gathering intelligence for operations — the latest indications that the Trump administration was not fully prepared for the broader war it is now facing, Politico writes.

Amid criticism that the administration has been too slow to alert US citizens that they should leave or help those then caught in the maelstrom, the State Department is sending extra staff to Athens to aid US citizens, according to a current and former department official familiar with consular issues.

US Central Command, meanwhile, is asking the Pentagon to send more military intelligence officers to its headquarters in Tampa, Florida, to support operations against Iran for at least 100 days but likely through September, according to a notification obtained by Politico.

It’s the first known call for additional intelligence personnel for the Iran war by the administration, and a sign the Pentagon is already allocating funding for operations that may stretch long beyond President Donald Trump’s initial four-week timeline for the conflict.

As noted, the rush to add people and resources to support efforts that are often organized well in advance of US military action highlights how the Trump team had not fully anticipated the wide fallout of the war it launched alongside Israel on Saturday.