The U.S. and Israel are gearing up for another round of airstrikes against Iran set to take place after the midterm elections.
The New York Times reported on Wednesday that the plans involve a short, intense operation aimed at Iran’s energy infrastructure, nuclear sites, and missile and drone stockpiles.
President Donald Trump has not approved the renewed airstrikes yet and has refrained from returning to major combat this year. However, he has signaled that further military operations could ensue after the upcoming midterms.
Dozens of Israeli jets flew through Syrian and Iraqi airspace on Monday, but turned back before crossing Iran’s border.
On the other side, Iran says it is ready for “diplomacy” or “war.” Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said recently that the regime will not return to the negotiating table unless Washington agrees to its laundry list of demands, which includes lifting sanctions.
President Trump told NewsNation on Wednesday that the U.S. is not negotiating with Iran and that something will happen soon.
Some officials indicated that the strikes could avoid refineries to prevent further rises in gas prices.
The U.S. and Israel are preparing plans for a possible attack on Iran in early November, after the U.S. midterm elections, a person briefed on the U.S. and Israel's war planning told NPR on Thursday. Iran said it is prepared.
The person, who spoke to NPR on condition of anonymity to discuss the preparations, said Israel had initially planned to strike Iran in mid-October, about two weeks before Israeli elections on Oct. 27, but President Trump objected.
According to the person briefed, the U.S. is now amassing forces in the region to be ready to attack by early November, after the U.S. midterm elections, but that these preparations could also be part of a campaign to pressure Iran to reach a diplomatic deal.
U.S. midterm elections take place on Nov. 3.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is seeking reelection, is campaigning on a threat to topple Iran's regime.
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𝐍𝐘𝐓: 𝐔.𝐒., 𝐈𝐒𝐑𝐀𝐄𝐋 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐍 𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐖𝐄𝐃 𝐈𝐑𝐀𝐍 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐊𝐄𝐒 𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐌𝐈𝐃𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐌𝐒 𝐀𝐒 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐊∗𝐋𝐋 𝟏𝟕 𝐈𝐍 𝐒𝐀𝐔𝐃𝐈 𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐁𝐈𝐀 The pause on Iran was never a peace. The 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘠𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘛𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 now reports the U.S. and Israeli militaries have drawn up specific plans for 𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐰𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐈𝐫𝐚𝐧 once the midterms are over, with officials saying both sides have quietly stepped up exercises to get ready. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth flew to Israel this week to sit down with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on exactly what gets hit next — Iran’s energy infrastructure, its nuclear sites, and its missile and drone arsenal. President Trump’s own framing left no ambiguity: “𝘐𝘳𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘯𝘶𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘱𝘰𝘯. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘪𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘢 𝘯𝘶𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘱𝘰𝘯, 𝘸𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘢 𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘣𝘰𝘹—𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘶𝘵𝘴.” While Washington plans the next round, Iran’s proxy already opened fire. Iran-backed Houthi rebels struck another Saudi airport overnight, 𝐤∗𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 and wounding at least eight more. The State Department has now ordered non-emergency U.S. personnel and their families out of Saudi Arabia entirely, citing the escalating risk. This isn’t an isolated strike — it’s a pattern. In just the last few weeks the Houthis have launched more than 𝟐𝟎 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬 on Saudi Arabia, k∗lling at least 17 people, and last week they fired directly at the presidential palace complex inside their own country’s capital. The United Nations is now warning of a humanitarian catastrophe as refugees pour out of Yemen into Djibouti. Officials tell the 𝘛𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 one more major round of strikes could push Iran’s economy past the breaking point and finally force Tehran to the table — after nearly eight months of a conflict its own terror network keeps refusing to end. 𝐈𝐫𝐚𝐧’𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐤𝐞’𝐬 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬. Source: Youtube https://t.co/zvxtNaK2oG
— M.A. Rothman (@MichaelARothman) October 22, 2026
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Iranian state media on Thursday, "We are just as prepared for diplomacy as we are for war."
"Any scenario is conceivable, including the possibility of an attack by the U.S. and Israel," Araghchi said.
Trump pledged that there would be no strikes before the midterm elections, but there are indications that when the airstrikes resume, they will be devastating. There are talks of the U.S. military using the “Mother of All Bombs” (MOAB) against targets in Iran.
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