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Photo: U.S. Navy / Wikimedia Commons (public domain).
The United States has told several Gulf Arab states to prepare for a possible "short, intense military campaign" against Iran after the November 3 midterm elections, The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing people briefed on the conversations.
The messages, conveyed through diplomatic and military channels, are among growing signs that the US and Israel are preparing a new round of heavy combat operations against Iran, aimed at weakening Tehran and pushing it toward negotiations, according to the report.
Forces being moved into place
According to the Journal, the US military is moving a Patriot air defense system from Texas to the Middle East and has repositioned troops away from bases considered vulnerable to Iranian retaliation. US forces are also restocking munitions and preparing bombers and fighter jets for possible strikes.
An additional aircraft carrier strike group and a Marine expeditionary unit are expected to join roughly 20 US warships already operating in the Middle East next month, the report said, though some vessels may rotate out.
No final decision — but Trump leaning toward a strike
President Donald Trump has not made a final decision, the Journal reported, citing people familiar with his thinking, but is leaning toward a "large postelection attack" that could target Iranian infrastructure and nuclear sites.
The White House declined to comment on what it called "sensitive military plans that may or may not exist," saying only that Trump "keeps all options on the table to ensure that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon."
Speaking at a campaign rally in Lubbock, Texas, on Tuesday, Trump hinted at developments to come. "You'll see Iran in a couple of weeks, if you don't mind," he said. "We obliterated Iran's nuclear enrichment capacity with Operation Midnight Hammer and Operation Epic Fury and defeated them militarily, financially and otherwise. And it will all end very soon."
Trump has previously said he will not attack Iran before the midterms.
Why the warning matters now
The US and Israel launched a war against Iran on February 28, prompting Tehran to respond with missile and drone attacks across the region and effectively close the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global energy supplies. A memorandum of understanding signed in June to pave the way for a final peace deal later collapsed amid disagreements, including over navigation in the strait.
The US State Department ordered non-emergency staff to leave Saudi Arabia effective October 23, and US embassies across the region ordered departures last week — moves that, together with the reported warnings to Gulf states, point to Washington bracing for a new escalation once the election is over.
For now, the reported plan remains just that: a plan under consideration, not an order given. But the warnings to Gulf capitals suggest the window after November 3 is the one to watch.
Sources: The Wall Street Journal, as reported by Anadolu Agency and Times Now (Gulf warnings, force movements, Trump leaning toward a postelection attack, White House response, Lubbock rally remarks); Gulf News (CNN reporting on possible operations within 96 hours of an order, no final decision, embassy departures); Sabq (Journal sourcing, Patriot move, carrier group). Claims about a possible campaign are attributed to the Journal's sources, not to a public US announcement, and no final decision has been reported.