White House seeks Iran strike options before midterms

The White House has asked the Pentagon to draw up options for military strikes on Iran that could be carried out before the Nov. 3 midterm elections. The Atlantic reported the request Wednesday, citing two administration officials. The move comes after several weeks without U.S. strikes in a war that is now in its eighth month and has weighed on Republican candidates across the country.theatlantic

U.S. Central Command, which is running the war effort, is preparing the plans, a U.S. official told the magazine. The size of any strikes, their targets and whether President Trump will approve them are still being debated. According to The Atlantic, even supporters of the idea concede that limited strikes would not, by themselves, bring Iran to the negotiating table, make the Strait of Hormuz safe for shipping again or lower gas prices before Election Day.jpost+1

A bid for a "win"

Supporters argue that renewed action after months of uneasy calm would let Trump show strength and possibly declare some kind of victory. "It would make the president look like he got a win and that gas prices would start going down," a Republican familiar with the talks told The Atlantic. A limited operation before the vote could be followed by bigger military action afterward.israelnationalnews+1

The Pentagon has already shown Trump options for after the election. They range from small strikes to large attacks, including more strikes on Iran's energy industry. Trump told Time magazine that post-election strikes were possible, saying, "we've been stocking up for the last six months". A White House official told The Atlantic that Trump "has all options available at any time," and did not answer questions about timing.theatlantic+1

Risks at home and abroad

Any new campaign would put the roughly 50,000 U.S. troops in the region, as well as Gulf allies, at risk of Iranian retaliation. It would also further drain U.S. munitions stockpiles. The Atlantic cited the U.S. Energy Information Administration as saying crude prices have usually risen when the United States restarted strikes after a pause. AAA puts the national average for gas at $4.37 a gallon, up from just under $3 before the strikes began on Feb. 28.theatlantic+1

"Military action has done nothing to drive down oil prices; in fact, it has done the opposite," said Will Walldorf, a Wake Forest University professor and senior fellow at Defense Priorities. "And if this is an attempt to rally the Republican vote, how does that make any sense given how unpopular this war is?"theatlantic

Washington and Tehran are still talking through mediators. They remain divided over a cease-fire, the U.S. blockade and reopening the strait. Vice President JD Vance told Reuters that any deal would require concrete cuts to Iran's enrichment capacity. A senior Iranian official said Iran's right to enrich remains a red line.jpost