Pentagon Readies Options to Resume Major Combat in Iran as Trump Weighs Strikes Before Midterms

WASHINGTON, Oct. 7 (TodayViralUSA) — The Pentagon has directed U.S. Central Command to complete preparations for a possible resumption of major combat operations against Iran, and the White House has asked military planners for strike options that could be executed before next month’s midterm elections, according to several news reports published Wednesday.

No date has been set and President Donald Trump has not made a final decision, U.S. officials told Axios, which first reported the directive. NBC News, citing a U.S. official and another person familiar with the talks, reported that Trump and his national security team have discussed restarting large-scale operations in the coming weeks, including the option of acting before voters go to the polls on Nov. 3.

Options before and after Election Day

The Atlantic, citing two administration officials, reported that Central Command is drawing up the pre-election options and that the size and targets of any strikes are still under discussion. The Pentagon has also presented plans for action after the vote, ranging from limited strikes to a broader campaign that could include further attacks on Iran’s energy sector, the magazine reported.

Officials linked the planning to the president’s desire to show progress in the eight-month war and to bring down fuel prices before the election. Even supporters of limited strikes acknowledged that such an operation alone would be unlikely to force Tehran into a deal, restore safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz or lower gasoline prices by Election Day, according to the report. Some advisers favor waiting until after the vote, concerned that renewed fighting, particularly any American casualties, could hurt Republican candidates.

A White House official said Trump “has all options available at any time” but declined to discuss timing, The Atlantic reported.

Camp David talks and a call with Netanyahu

The planning follows a lengthy meeting of Trump’s national security team at Camp David on Friday. Any renewed campaign would most likely be carried out jointly with Israel, Axios reported. Trump spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, the third anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel, their second call in a matter of days.

Israeli officials told Axios they did not consider strikes before the U.S. election highly likely but could not rule them out, adding that the odds rise “significantly” after the midterms.

Diplomacy stalled

Talks between Washington and Tehran, conducted through Qatari mediators, have made little progress. Vice President JD Vance told Reuters this week that Iran would need to make a “meaningful” cut to its uranium enrichment capacity to end the war, a stance that appeared softer than the president’s earlier call for no enrichment at all. A senior Iranian official responded that Tehran would “never give up its right to enrich.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday that Iran had “lost complete control” of the Strait of Hormuz and that oil flows were nearing prewar levels, CBS News reported. An adviser to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards commander countered that the waterway remained closed and under Iranian control.

Speaking at a defense-industry event in Maryland on Tuesday night, Trump said the United States still had to decide how to “finish up” with Iran, “the nice way or the not-so-nice way,” adding: “You will find out pretty soon.”