US and Israel Draw Up Plans for Fresh Iran Strikes After Midterms, Report Says

The United States and Israel have drawn up detailed plans for a new round of strikes on Iran, according to a report in The New York Times. The attacks would take place after the American midterm elections on 3 November.

US officials told the newspaper that the two militaries are planning a short but heavy operation. Their jets have already stepped up practice flights over Iraq to prepare for it.

The likely targets are Iran’s energy sites, its nuclear facilities, and its stores of missiles and drones. Some planners say oil refineries may be left alone, so that petrol prices do not rise sharply around the world.

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth discussed the plans with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his trip to Israel this week. The visit was kept secret until Hegseth confirmed it himself. Read more: Hegseth confirms surprise Israel visit, meets Netanyahu at airbase

Some American officials believe that three days of strikes could push Iran’s economy to the edge. They hope this would force Tehran to accept a deal after almost eight months of conflict.

President Donald Trump spoke about Iran on Wednesday night. He said Washington is not negotiating with Tehran. “We are going to have something, one way or the other. It will happen fairly soon,” he said. He added that most people expect the action to come after the elections.

It is still not certain that the strikes will go ahead. Mr Trump has blocked plans for a return to major fighting several times this year, and he may do so again.

Iran has warned that it will hit back hard. A spokesman for the Revolutionary Guards said the United States has the “mother of all bombs”, and promised that Iran would show it the “father of all bombs”. Tehran has given no details of the weapon. Read more: Iran warns of response against nine countries if US strikes

A deal signed by the two sides in June has stalled. Washington and Tehran still disagree over shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway that carries much of the world’s oil.