The United States and Israel have drawn up detailed plans to renew military strikes against Iran after the Nov. 3 midterm elections, with the United States massing troops across the Middle East and the Pentagon quietly redeploying troops over concerns about Iranian retaliation, reports said on Wednesday.
The plans include “short but intense” military operations that could last three days and target Iran’s nuclear facilities, missile and drone arsenal and energy infrastructure. new york times The report cited U.S. officials and others with knowledge of the preparations.
Some military planners believe a concentrated offensive could do enough damage to Iran’s already battered economy to force Tehran to make concessions, but others question whether additional strikes would break the diplomatic deadlock.
U.S. and Israeli forces have stepped up joint exercises, including rehearsing potential attacks over Iraq, while a large U.S. military buildup is expected to be in place by early November.
The deployments are expected to bring three U.S. aircraft carriers, thousands of Marines, more fighter jets and special operations forces into the region, expanding President Donald Trump’s military options as the confrontation with Tehran continues.
Trump pledged this month not to launch new U.S. attacks before the Nov. 3 election. The president has not yet authorized another attack and may ultimately decide not to launch another.
Army Secretary Pete Hegseth made an unannounced visit to Israel on Monday, where he met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Ofda Air Base and discussed the possibility of renewed attacks on Iran.
Hegseth later confirmed the meeting with Netanyahu but declined to disclose their conversations, while stressing that U.S. forces were prepared to carry out additional operations if ordered to do so.
“We want to ensure that Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon. We are ready to contribute in any way necessary,” Hegseth told reporters on Tuesday.
“We have caused historic damage to their military capabilities, but if they are unwilling to give up and the president demands further action, we are ready,” he added.
The meeting came a day after Trump endorsed Netanyahu ahead of Israel’s Oct. 27 election and issued a clear warning that the United States and Israel would end their campaign against Iran unless Tehran quickly changes course.
“Iran has been systematically destroyed militarily and economically, and unless they quickly change their approach, we will soon be done with our mission,” Trump warned in his endorsement.
Trump also warned that replacing Netanyahu could leave Washington alone against Tehran, underscoring the importance he places on the partnership.
Netanyahu reinforced that message in a conversation with Trump the next day, telling him, “Donald, you said we have a job to do and we’re going to do it together.”
“You are a great warrior and we will soon prove it,” Trump responded.
On the same day, dozens of Israeli fighter jets and tanker planes flew more than 800 miles through Syrian and Iraqi airspace toward Iran’s western border, in what officials called a major show of military strength.
The plane returned along a similar route to previous attacks against Iran but did not enter Iranian airspace.
Israel notified Washington ahead of the drills, which Israeli officials characterized as a show of force and deterrence.
The event followed an earlier Israeli proposal for a larger offensive, which Trump reportedly opposed.
according to financial timesNetanyahu had sought to launch a multi-day bombing campaign around October 10 that would target Iran’s nuclear facilities, power plants, other infrastructure and sites associated with the ruling regime.
According to reports, Israel has provided Washington with an updated target list based on new intelligence, which includes facilities that have not been previously attacked. The intensity of the operation is expected to exceed the intensity of the US-Israeli attacks that began in February.
Trump opposes the resumption of major hostilities before the midterm elections, the newspaper reported. Israeli military sources have questioned aspects of the reported preparations.
The potential post-election offensive plans come as the Pentagon is strengthening its regional forces while reducing the exposure of troops stationed at vulnerable installations.
NBC News reported Wednesday that U.S. personnel have been quietly moved from bases in Jordan, Qatar and Kuwait to guard against possible Iranian retaliation.
Smaller task forces remain at the facility to maintain air defense and other necessary security operations.
Capt. Timothy Hawkins, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command, said the military frequently adjusts deployments to maintain readiness but declined to discuss specific operations for operational security reasons.
The U.S. diplomatic mission also took precautions. The U.S. State Department ordered non-emergency personnel and eligible family members to leave Saudi Arabia after an attack by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, while movement was also restricted at other regional outposts.
That comes as Iranian officials threaten retaliation that would extend far beyond U.S. 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 news television that the regime was ready for a “comprehensive, multi-layered, all-out war,” while other officials rejected suggestions that Washington might decide the duration or limits of another confrontation.
Pakistan Army Chief of Staff Marshal Asim Munir visited Tehran this week in an attempt to revive mediation between Washington and the Iranian regime.
lebanese newspapers Akhba Reports on Tuesday said Munir issued a warning to the United States to make nuclear concessions or face the risk of a large-scale military attack, which could include an attack on Iran’s heavily fortified Hosan nuclear facility.
The report is based on leaks cited by Lebanese newspapers and has not been independently confirmed.
According to NBC News, Hosan is also one of the locations U.S. military planners are considering for possible attacks, although its deeply buried infrastructure poses a significant challenge to conventional bombing campaigns.
At the heart of the diplomatic standoff is Tehran’s refusal to accept Washington’s nuclear demands.
The United States insists that any deal would remove Iran’s path to a nuclear weapon, while Iranian officials have pressed for an end to the war, lifting of the U.S. blockade and reopening of the Strait of Hormuz before substantial nuclear concessions are made.
Maj. Gen. Mohsen Rezai, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, stressed that Tehran refused to give up its enriched nuclear materials during Munir’s visit.
“Not one gram of enriched uranium will be shipped from Iran,” Rezai announced on Tuesday.
“There will be no negotiations until the United States takes steps to build trust,” he added, demanding that Washington first meet Tehran’s conditions.
The standoff comes as Netanyahu publicly calls for the overthrow of Iran’s ruling regime.
“The Iranian regime has still not learned its lesson,” Netanyahu declared at a graduation ceremony for Israeli military officers on Wednesday, accusing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei of continuing his father’s pursuit of nuclear weapons.
“There is only one way to eliminate this threat once and for all: to overthrow the Iranian regime,” Netanyahu said. “That is my instruction to the IDF, Mossad and the security services.”
Meanwhile, Trump announced on Wednesday that the United States had destroyed Iran’s nuclear capabilities and defeated the regime militarily and financially, while insisting that the campaign’s gains must be made permanent.
“We destroyed Iran’s nuclear enrichment capabilities through Operation Midnight Hammer and Operation Epic Fury,” Trump said in a speech in South Carolina.
“We defeated them militarily, economically and in other ways,” he added. “Iran will never have nuclear weapons.”
The president said U.S. troops could withdraw immediately, but Washington was determined to ensure a lasting outcome.
“We can leave now, but we want to make sure this lasts a long time,” Trump said.
A day earlier, Trump stressed that the damage to Iran’s nuclear program would not be enough if Tehran could rebuild it in the coming years.
“We could leave now and we would do great, great things,” Trump said on Tuesday. “But that’s not good enough for me. We have to make sure that this doesn’t happen in five, six, 10 years.”
The president also warned that the conflict would end “somehow very soon,” leaving Tehran facing a choice between reaching a deal or facing further military action.
“We just have to make the final decision,” Trump said. “How do we want to win? Do we want to win in a good way or do we want to win in a bad way?”
Joshua Klein is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jklein@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaKlein.