The US military is prepared to strike Iran as early as this weekend, though President Donald Trump has yet to make a final decision on whether he’ll authorise such actions, CNN reported quoting sources familiar with the matter.

The White House has been briefed that the military could be ready for an attack by the weekend, after a significant buildup in recent days of air and naval assets in the Middle East, the sources said. 

But one source cautioned that Trump has privately argued both for and against military action and polled advisers and allies on what the best course of action is.

Top administration national security officials met Wednesday in the White House Situation Room to discuss the situation in Iran, a person familiar with the meeting said. 

Trump was also briefed Wednesday by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, about their indirect talks with Iran that occurred a day earlier. It was not clear if Trump would make a decision by the weekend.

“He is spending a lot of time thinking about this,” one source said.

The massive US military buildup in the Middle East, including warships, fighter jets, and refueling aircraft, lays the foundation for a potentially sustained campaign against Iran -- should President Donald Trump give the order.

Trump -- who ordered strikes on Iran last year -- has repeatedly threatened Tehran with further military action if ongoing talks do not reach a replacement for the nuclear deal the US president tore up in 2018, during his first term in office, said the CNN report.

CNN and CBS both reported Wednesday that the US military will be ready to launch strikes against Iran as early as this weekend, though Trump has reportedly not made a final decision yet.

Although no breakthrough seemed to have emerged from Tuesday's indirect talks in Geneva, both sides indicated that there had been steps in the right direction.

Iran said an understanding had been reached with the US on the main "guiding principles" that will frame efforts to resolve the dispute around Tehran's nuclear programme. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi added that work still needed to be done.

The US said "progress was made" and Badr Albusaidi, the foreign minister of Oman, which is mediating the talks, said the negotiations "concluded with good progress" on common aims and technical issues.

Asked about the Geneva negotiations, the White House press secretary said that Washington and Tehran were still "far apart" on some key issues.

"I think you heard from the administration and the state department yesterday that there was a little bit of progress made, but we're still very far apart on some issues," Leavitt said.