US forces in the Middle East are ready to launch new, possibly major, military operations against Iran "within 96 hours of receiving" the order from President Donald Trump, according to two US officials. Sufficient forces are now deployed in the area to carry out the possible attacks, the sources said. The scope of the new U.S. military actions will likely go beyond efforts to simply "mow the lawn" or maintain the status quo by striking Iranian radars, launchers and other quickly recoverable assets — as has been the case since Trump halted full combat operations earlier this year, the sources added. "It will be a big effort," one official told CNN. That view has been echoed by other current and former U.S. officials familiar with the military's internal planning discussions — some say it's a question of when, not if, Trump will issue an exit order. They believe it could come anytime before the end of the year, though most likely after the US midterm elections. Iranian forces are now more familiar with US tactics, so it will be more difficult for the US military to effectively destroy all potential intended targets. However, US Central Command leaders and the Pentagon have developed an extensive target list, which includes Iranian energy infrastructure, military sites and nuclear facilities. Officials say Trump hasn't decided what he'll do after the term, but he seems inclined to order major action. But officials also warn that Trump has appeared in the past to lean toward certain actions only to backtrack at the last minute. US intelligence officials believe that there is no chance that Iran and the Houthis will carry out pre-emptive escalation attacks against American or Israeli military personnel at this stage, but will not hesitate to respond if Iran is the first target of American or Israeli forces, said one of the sources familiar with the latest American intelligence assessments.