The United States and Israel have drawn up detailed options for renewed strikes on Iran after the November 3 midterm elections, as Washington expands its military presence across the Middle East and shifts forces amid concerns that Tehran could retaliate, reports said Wednesday.
The proposed operation could be a “short, intense” campaign lasting as long as three days, with potential targets including Iran’s nuclear sites, missile and drone stockpiles, and energy infrastructure, according to the New York Times, which cited U.S. officials and others briefed on the plans.
Some American military officials argue that a tightly focused assault could further weaken Iran’s already struggling economy and pressure Tehran to make concessions. Others remain doubtful that another round of attacks would resolve the diplomatic impasse.
U.S. and Israeli forces have stepped up joint training, including flights over Iraq designed to rehearse possible strike routes. Much of the expected American buildup is set to be in place by early November.
The planned deployment would include three U.S. aircraft carriers, thousands of Marines, more fighter jets and special operations personnel. The expanded force would give President Donald Trump a wider range of military choices as tensions with Tehran persist.
Any action would come after Trump’s pledge this month to avoid launching new U.S. strikes before the November 3 elections. The president has not approved another attack and could still decide not to proceed.
The latest preparations followed an unannounced visit to Israel on Monday by War Secretary Pete Hegseth. At Ovda Air Base, Hegseth met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the prospect of renewed military action against Iran.
Hegseth later acknowledged the meeting but offered no details about the discussion. He did, however, say American troops were ready to conduct further operations if Trump issued the order.
“We want to make sure that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon. We’re prepared to contribute any way necessary,” Hegseth told reporters Tuesday.
“We’ve done historic devastation to their military capabilities, but if they’re not willing to give it up and the president asks to go even further — we’re prepared,” he added.
Hegseth’s meeting with Netanyahu came one day after Trump endorsed the Israeli prime minister ahead of Israel’s October 27 election. In that endorsement, Trump warned that the United States and Israel would complete their campaign against Iran unless Tehran quickly altered its policies.
“Iran has been systematically destroyed, both Militarily and Financially, and unless they change their ways, rapidly, we will soon finish the job,” Trump wrote in his endorsement.
Trump also cautioned that replacing Netanyahu could force Washington to deal with Tehran without its closest regional partner, highlighting the strategic importance he attached to their relationship.
The next day, Netanyahu echoed that determination during a phone call with Trump. “Donald, you said we have a job to finish, and we’ll finish it together,” he told the president.
“You’re a great warrior, and we’ll prove that very soon,” Trump responded.
On the same day, dozens of Israeli fighter jets and aerial refueling aircraft traveled more than 800 miles through Syrian and Iraqi airspace toward Iran’s western frontier. Officials described the maneuver as a significant display of Israeli military strength.
The aircraft turned around before entering Iranian airspace, using a flight path similar to routes associated with earlier Israeli operations against Iran.
Israel informed Washington before the exercise, which Israeli officials described as an effort to demonstrate military capability and deter Iran.
The show of force came after Israel had reportedly presented an earlier proposal for a much larger attack—an operation Trump was said to have rejected.
The Financial Times reported that Netanyahu had proposed a multiday bombing campaign around October 10. The suggested targets included Iranian nuclear facilities, power stations, critical infrastructure and locations linked to the country’s ruling leadership.
Israel reportedly supplied Washington with an updated target list based on new intelligence, including facilities not previously attacked, for an operation expected to exceed the intensity of the opening U.S.-Israeli strikes in February.
Trump opposed resuming major hostilities before the midterms, according to the newspaper. Israeli military sources have disputed aspects of the reported preparations.
The plans for a potential post-election offensive come as the Pentagon strengthens its regional forces while reducing the exposure of troops stationed at vulnerable installations.
NBC News reported Wednesday that American personnel have been quietly moved from bases in Jordan, Qatar, and Kuwait as a precaution against possible Iranian retaliation.
Smaller contingents remain at the installations to maintain air defenses and other essential security operations.
U.S. Central Command spokesman Capt. Timothy Hawkins said the military routinely adjusts deployments to maintain readiness but declined to discuss specific movements for operational security reasons.
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American diplomatic missions have also taken precautions. The State Department ordered the departure of non-emergency personnel and eligible family members from Saudi Arabia amid attacks by Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthis, while other regional posts have restricted operations.
The heightened readiness comes as Iranian officials threaten retaliation extending well beyond American and Israeli military targets.
Tehran has warned that another offensive could trigger attacks on regional energy infrastructure, including facilities belonging to U.S. allies, as well as data centers and undersea communications cables.
An Iranian security official told state-run Press TV that the regime was prepared for an “all-out, multi-layered, and comprehensive war,” while other officials rejected suggestions that Washington could dictate the duration or limits of another confrontation.
Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, visited Tehran this week in an effort to revive mediation between Washington and the Iranian regime.
The Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar reported Tuesday that Munir conveyed an American warning demanding nuclear concessions or risking a large-scale military attack, potentially including strikes against Iran’s heavily fortified Pickaxe Mountain nuclear facility.
The account, based on leaks cited by the Lebanese newspaper, has not been independently confirmed.
Pickaxe Mountain is also among the sites American military planners have considered for possible strikes, according to NBC News, although its deeply buried infrastructure presents significant challenges for conventional bombing operations.
The diplomatic impasse centers on Tehran’s refusal to accept Washington’s nuclear demands.
The United States insists that any agreement eliminate Iran’s path to a nuclear weapon, while Iranian officials are pressing for an end to the war, relief from the American blockade, and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz before addressing substantive nuclear concessions.
Maj. Gen. Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, underscored Tehran’s refusal to relinquish its enriched nuclear material during Munir’s visit.
“Not a single gram of enriched uranium will be removed from Iran,” Rezaei declared Tuesday.
“There will be no negotiations until the United States takes steps to build trust,” he added, demanding that Washington first fulfill Tehran’s conditions.
The standoff comes as Netanyahu openly calls for the overthrow of Iran’s ruling regime.
“The regime in Iran has still not learned its lesson,” Netanyahu declared Wednesday during an Israeli military officers’ graduation ceremony, accusing Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei of continuing his father’s pursuit of nuclear weapons.
“There is only one way to remove this threat once and for all: overthrow the regime in Iran,” Netanyahu said. “And that is my directive to the IDF, the Mossad, and the security branches.”
Trump, meanwhile, declared Wednesday that the United States had already devastated Iran’s nuclear capabilities and defeated the regime militarily and financially, while insisting that the campaign’s gains must be made permanent.
“We obliterated Iran’s nuclear enrichment capacity with Operation Midnight Hammer, a beautiful operation, and Operation Epic Fury,” Trump said during remarks in South Carolina.
“And we defeated them militarily, financially, and otherwise,” he added. “Iran will never have a nuclear weapon.”
The president suggested that American forces could withdraw immediately but that Washington was determined to secure a lasting outcome.
“We could leave now, but we want to make sure it lasts for a long time,” Trump said.
A day earlier, Trump had stressed that the damage inflicted on Iran’s nuclear program would be insufficient if Tehran could rebuild it in the years ahead.
“We could leave right now, and we would have done a good job, a great job,” Trump said Tuesday. “But it’s not good enough for me. We have to make sure it doesn’t happen in five years, six years, ten years.”
The president also warned that the conflict would end “one way or the other very quickly,” presenting Tehran with a choice between reaching an agreement and facing further military action.
“We just have to make a final decision,” Trump said. “Which way do we want to win? Do we want to win the nice way or the not nice way?”
