WASHINGTON, Oct 22: The United States and Israel have drawn up plans for renewed strikes on Iran after the American midterm elections, while Tehran has threatened to unveil a weapon it calls the "father of all bombs" amid escalating tensions in West Asia, according to reports by The New York Times.
According to The New York Times, the US and Israeli militaries have developed specific plans for a short but intensive operation targeting Iran’s energy infrastructure, nuclear facilities, and missile and drone arsenal. Citing US officials and other people briefed on the deliberations, the report said the two militaries have stepped up exercises, including flying aircraft over Iraq to practise strike manoeuvres.
US War Secretary Pete Hegseth met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel this week to discuss potential renewed strikes, according to the news report. Some US officials believe another round of "attacks" could push Iran’s economy to the brink and force Tehran to make diplomatic concessions after nearly eight months of conflict.
Amid the possibility of renewed strikes, Iran has warned that it would respond to any renewed military action. According to Iranian state-affiliated media outlet Student News Network (SNN), Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) spokesperson Hossein Mohebbi said, "The United States has the ‘Mother of All Bombs.’ We will show them the ‘Father of All Bombs,’ and it will definitely be something new for them."
But, Tehran has not provided details about the weapon or clarified what the threat entails.
The warning follows reports that US President Donald Trump has considered using the 22,000-pound GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB), known as the "Mother of All Bombs", against Iran’s deeply buried Pickaxe Mountain nuclear facility.
According to The New York Times, weapons specialists have questioned whether the bomb, which explodes above ground, could destroy the underground site, which is composed of granite. Military officials have also warned that the bomb would have to be delivered by a slow-flying MC-130 transport aircraft vulnerable to Iranian anti-aircraft fire.
However, the news report said it remains uncertain whether Trump will approve fresh strikes. The US and Israel came close to launching an "attack" earlier this month, but Trump postponed the operation shortly before it was due to begin, despite extensive preparations and heightened alert levels among their air forces.
A White House official said the administration does not comment on military plans "that may or may not exist", adding that Trump was keeping all options on the table to ensure Iran cannot acquire nuclear weapons.
According to The New York Times, the United States is assembling a substantial military force expected to be fully in place by early November, including three aircraft carriers, thousands of Marines, fighter jets and Special Operations forces. Officials have cited political considerations, including Trump’s earlier pledge not to strike Iran before the midterm elections, as reasons the operation could be delayed.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, meanwhile, has highlighted the situation as a major challenge for Tehran. In an address to the Iranian Parliament, Pezeshkian said, "The memorandum of understanding we signed was very good; we hadn't given anything. The current situation is neither good for us, nor for the region, nor for the world."
He added, "We are in a super-challenge, not a challenge. America didn't think we would stand firm despite the pressure and war, but we stood firm, and we will continue to stand firm."
Iran’s representative to the United Nations also alleged, as cited by the SNN, that "Starlink has been used to identify and target in military attacks against Iran...The country's space and scientific infrastructure has been targeted in attacks."
The New York Times report said Washington was seeking to use the prospect of renewed military action as leverage in negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme and control over the Strait of Hormuz. However, Iranian negotiators have resisted making concessions on the nuclear issue, insisting that the matter be deferred until later in the talks.
Some US planners believe an intensive three-day campaign could inflict enough economic damage to change Tehran’s position. However, the report noted that previous US-Israeli strikes between February and April drove up energy prices and inflation worldwide, eroded security in West Asia and severely strained the Pentagon’s supply of missile interceptors.
Iranian officials have also warned that any renewed conflict could extend beyond commercial shipping and energy infrastructure to data centres and underwater internet cables, saying the fighting would neither be quick nor limited.
Mahdi Mohammadi, a senior adviser to Iran’s negotiator General Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, also rejected the prospect of a swift end to renewed hostilities. According to the report, Mohammadi described the idea that the United States could conclude another round of strikes within 72 hours as a “fantasy”, adding that Iran would determine when the war would end.
“Our attacks will be more fierce, creative and different,” Mohammadi said. “We are determined and confident and strong planning has been put in place.”
The report also noted that Israel’s October 27 election could complicate the timing of any operation. Analysts said Netanyahu could face difficulties initiating a war if he loses and becomes a caretaker prime minister, although some believe the prospect of joint US-Israeli strikes could be used to pressure political rivals into joining a unity government.
As military preparations and diplomatic efforts continue, the possibility of renewed strikes has raised concerns about a wider regional conflict, with uncertainty persisting over Trump’s final decision and Iran’s potential response.