<\/p>\n
Marco Rubio<\/a> delivered a rare briefing to top US lawmakers on Iran<\/a> from the White House on Tuesday as Washington deploys its largest force of aircraft and warships to the Middle East since the 2003 buildup to the Iraq war.<\/p>\n The audience for the secretary of state\u2019s briefing was reported to include the so-called \u201cgang of eight\u201d, which includes the senior lawmakers from both parties in the House and Senate, as well as the chairs and ranking members of the House and Senate intelligence committees.<\/p>\n The select group is briefed by the White House on classified intelligence matters, which can include preparations for significant military action. Rubio last publicly briefed the group on 5 January, the day after the US launched its successful operation to capture<\/a> Venezuela\u2019s Nicol\u00e1s Maduro.<\/p>\n The developments came after a second US aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald Ford \u2013 the largest such vessel in the world \u2013 arrived in the region. Analysts have said that the US is now in position to launch a strike against Iran if Donald Trump orders one<\/a>.<\/p>\n The details of the report were classified and were not immediately made public. Exiting the briefing, Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer said: \u201cThis is serious, and the administration has to make its case to the American people.\u201d<\/p>\n The briefing by Rubio took place just hours before Trump is scheduled to deliver<\/a> a State of the Union <\/a>speech on Tuesday evening in which his foreign policy is expected to play a central role. Trump has<\/a> demanded<\/a> that Iran abandon its nuclear programme, abandon<\/a> its production of ballistic missiles and cease<\/a> its support for overseas proxies such as Hezbollah and the Houthis in Yemen.<\/p>\n