US, Israel plan new Iran strikes after midterms, NYT says

The US and Israeli militaries have drawn up specific plans for a new round of strikes on Iran after the Nov. 3 US midterm elections. The New York Times reported the plans on Wednesday, citing US officials and people briefed on the discussions. The campaign under discussion would be short but intense. It would target Iran's energy infrastructure, its nuclear sites and its missile and drone stockpiles. Some officials think another heavy wave of strikes could push Iran's economy to the brink and force Tehran into negotiations after nearly eight months of conflict.nytimes.com

Drills and a Hegseth visit

Both militaries have stepped up drills, including flights over Iraq to rehearse strike plans. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel this week to discuss possible new attacks. According to Anadolu Agency's summary of the report, the nuclear targets could include Pickaxe Mountain, a deeply buried site. A White House official told the Times the administration does not comment on military plans "that may or may not exist".aa.com.tr+1

Officials have doubts that a new campaign would achieve more than the February–April phase. That phase drove up global energy prices and inflation and strained the Pentagon's supply of missile interceptors. Trump has also repeatedly rejected a return to major combat this year, including once when forces were close to launching an attack. The Financial Times reported that he blocked an Israeli multiday operation planned for the weekend of Oct. 10 to avoid escalation before the elections.nytimes.com+1

Buildup and diplomacy

The US now has two carrier strike groups in the Middle East and a third on its way from the Pacific. It is also sending another amphibious assault ship carrying Marines. The USS Theodore Roosevelt and the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit are expected to arrive by late November. Mediators are working urgently to revive talks. Trump has said there will be no attack before the vote, but he has also warned that the US and Israel "will soon finish the job".wsj.com+1

Tehran's response

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Wednesday that indirect talks are continuing on a seven-day ceasefire proposal and that Washington is asking for new clauses. On the same day, a senior Revolutionary Guard official threatened undersea internet cables in the Strait of Hormuz if the US strikes Iranian infrastructure. Also on Wednesday, Netanyahu said he had ordered Israel's army and intelligence services to topple the Iranian government. He faces his own election on Oct. 27. Analyst Ali Vaez warned that once the midterms are over, "the political constraints Trump has publicly imposed on himself will disappear".time.com+1