Donald Trump stands on the brink of a major Middle East war as negotiations with Tehran collapse over his nuclear red line.

The president is on the verge of greenlighting a ‘massive, weeks-long’ military campaign against Iran that would be seen as all out war. 

Sources tell Axios the campaign would have a broader regime-change objective against the Ayatollah. The US and Israel would also launch the operation in a military joint effort. 

The potential war would be the most dramatic and consequential military invasion since the Iraq war in 2003 with major implications for Trump’s remaining presidency. 

Trump’s armada off the coast of Iran has swelled in recent days to include two aircraft carriers, a dozen warships, and hundreds of fighter jets equipped with advanced air defense systems. 

More firepower is also on the way as 150 military cargo flights have begun rapidly transferring weapon systems and ammunition to US Middle East bases in the last 24 hours. 

Trump has ordered another 50 fighter jets, including F-35s, F-22s and F-16s to be ready as he prepares to strike Iran. 

Diplomatic negotiations led by Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and envoy Steve Witkoff reportedly made little progress on Tuesday after Tehran refused to meet Trump’s demand to halt all nuclear development, according to JD Vance.

A war with Iran would come as Republicans brace for a tough midterm election cycle, fighting to preserve their congressional majority and avoid Trump becoming a lame-duck president.

The Daily Mail has contacted the White House for comment. 

Trump’s war preparations come as Iran has shut down the Strait of Hormuz for a military drill in a move that serves as a warning to the world if Trump orders an attack.

The temporary closure of parts of the strait came as Iranian news agencies reported live fire exercises in the vital waterway, through which 20 per cent of the world’s oil passes.

The rare move is a signal from Tehran of the potential fallout to the world economy if the US goes through with threats to attack it as tensions mount between the two countries.

In past times of tension and conflict, Iran has at times harassed shipping through the narrows, and during the 1980s Iran-Iraq war, both sides attacked tankers and other vessels, using naval mines to completely shut down traffic at points.

But Iran has not carried out repeated threats to close the waterway altogether since the 1980s, even during last year’s 12-day war when Israel and the US bombarded Iran’s key nuclear and military sites.

The extent and impact of Tuesday’s closure were not immediately known. Iranian media said it would be for several hours for ‘safety and maritime concerns’.

Trump previously was preparing for a military strike against Iran at the start of the year over the mass killings of thousands of Iranian protesters by the regime.

Regional allies, including Turkey and Saudi Arabia, urged the White House to back off a strike over fears it could lead to a wider regional war with the Ayatollah. 

After Trump backed off from launching a quick strike, the administration began a massive military naval build-up off as Iran’s coast while demanding nuclear talks.

Meanwhile, top regime leaders, including the Ayatollah, have released threatening messages vowing to killing US service members after refusing to bend to Trump’s demands.