Report: U.S., Israel Draft Plans for Renewed Iran Strikes After Midterms — ‘Short, Intense’ Operation

The United States and Israel have developed detailed plans for renewed military strikes against Iran following the November 3 midterm elections, as American forces build up across the Middle East and the Pentagon quietly repositions troops amid fears of Iranian retaliation, according to reports Wednesday.

The plans include a “short, intense” military campaign potentially lasting three days, targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities, missile and drone arsenals, and energy infrastructure, the New York Times reported, citing American officials and others briefed on the preparations.

Some military planners believe a concentrated offensive could inflict enough damage on Iran’s already battered economy to force Tehran into concessions, although others question whether additional strikes would break the diplomatic deadlock.

American and Israeli forces have intensified joint exercises, including flights over Iraq rehearsing potential attacks, while a substantial U.S. military buildup is expected to be in place by early November.

The deployments are expected to bring three American aircraft carriers, thousands of Marines, additional fighter aircraft, and special operations forces into the region, expanding President Donald Trump’s military options as the confrontation with Tehran continues.

The timing would follow Trump’s pledge this month not to launch new American strikes before the November 3 elections. The president has not authorized another offensive and could ultimately decide against one.

The preparations follow an unannounced Monday visit to Israel by War Secretary Pete Hegseth, who met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Ovda Air Base and discussed the possibility of renewed strikes against Iran.

Hegseth subsequently confirmed meeting Netanyahu but declined to disclose their conversation, while emphasizing that American forces were prepared to carry out additional operations if ordered.

“We want to make sure that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon. We’re prepared to contribute any way necessary,” Hegseth told reporters Tuesday.

“We’ve done historic devastation to their military capabilities, but if they’re not willing to give it up and the president asks to go even further — we’re prepared,” he added.

The meeting came a day after Trump endorsed Netanyahu ahead of Israel’s October 27 election, explicitly warning that the United States and Israel would finish their campaign against Iran unless Tehran rapidly changed course.

“Iran has been systematically destroyed, both Militarily and Financially, and unless they change their ways, rapidly, we will soon finish the job,” Trump warned in his endorsement.

Trump also warned that replacing Netanyahu could leave Washington to confront Tehran alone, underscoring the importance he placed on their partnership.

The following day, Netanyahu reinforced that message during a conversation with Trump, telling him, “Donald, you said we have a job to finish, and we’ll finish it together.”

“You’re a great warrior, and we’ll prove that very soon,” Trump replied.

That same day, dozens of Israeli fighter jets and refueling aircraft flew more than 800 miles through Syrian and Iraqi airspace toward Iran’s western border in what officials described as a major demonstration of military power.

The aircraft turned back without entering Iranian airspace after following a route resembling those used in previous strikes against Iran.

Israel notified Washington ahead of the exercise, which Israeli officials characterized as a show of force and deterrence.

The activity followed an earlier Israeli proposal for a substantially larger offensive that Trump reportedly opposed.

According to the Financial Times, Netanyahu had sought a multi-day bombing campaign around October 10, targeting Iranian nuclear facilities, power plants, other infrastructure, and sites associated with the ruling regime.

Israel reportedly supplied Washington with an updated target list based on new intelligence, including facilities not previously attacked, for an operation expected to exceed the intensity of the opening U.S.-Israeli strikes in February.

Trump opposed resuming major hostilities before the midterms, according to the newspaper. Israeli military sources have disputed aspects of the reported preparations.

The plans for a potential post-election offensive come as the Pentagon strengthens its regional forces while reducing the exposure of troops stationed at vulnerable installations.

NBC News reported Wednesday that American personnel have been quietly moved from bases in Jordan, Qatar, and Kuwait as a precaution against possible Iranian retaliation.

Smaller contingents remain at the installations to maintain air defenses and other essential security operations.

U.S. Central Command spokesman Capt. Timothy Hawkins said the military routinely adjusts deployments to maintain readiness but declined to discuss specific movements for operational security reasons.

American diplomatic missions have also taken precautions. The State Department ordered the departure of non-emergency personnel and eligible family members from Saudi Arabia amid attacks by Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthis, while other regional posts have restricted operations.

The heightened readiness comes as Iranian officials threaten retaliation extending well beyond American 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 Press TV that the regime was prepared for an “all-out, multi-layered, and comprehensive war,” while other officials rejected suggestions that Washington could dictate the duration or limits of another confrontation.

Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, visited Tehran this week in an effort to revive mediation between Washington and the Iranian regime.

The Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar reported Tuesday that Munir conveyed an American warning demanding nuclear concessions or risking a large-scale military attack, potentially including strikes against Iran’s heavily fortified Pickaxe Mountain nuclear facility.

The account, based on leaks cited by the Lebanese newspaper, has not been independently confirmed.

Pickaxe Mountain is also among the sites American military planners have considered for possible strikes, according to NBC News, although its deeply buried infrastructure presents significant challenges for conventional bombing operations.

The diplomatic impasse centers on Tehran’s refusal to accept Washington’s nuclear demands.

The United States insists that any agreement eliminate Iran’s path to a nuclear weapon, while Iranian officials are pressing for an end to the war, relief from the American blockade, and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz before addressing substantive nuclear concessions.

Maj. Gen. Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, underscored Tehran’s refusal to relinquish its enriched nuclear material during Munir’s visit.

“Not a single gram of enriched uranium will be removed from Iran,” Rezaei declared Tuesday.

“There will be no negotiations until the United States takes steps to build trust,” he added, demanding that Washington first fulfill Tehran’s conditions.

The standoff comes as Netanyahu openly calls for the overthrow of Iran’s ruling regime.

“The regime in Iran has still not learned its lesson,” Netanyahu declared Wednesday during an Israeli military officers’ graduation ceremony, accusing Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei of continuing his father’s pursuit of nuclear weapons.

“There is only one way to remove this threat once and for all: overthrow the regime in Iran,” Netanyahu said. “And that is my directive to the IDF, the Mossad, and the security branches.”

Trump, meanwhile, declared Wednesday that the United States had already devastated Iran’s nuclear capabilities and defeated the regime militarily and financially, while insisting that the campaign’s gains must be made permanent.

“We obliterated Iran’s nuclear enrichment capacity with Operation Midnight Hammer, a beautiful operation, and Operation Epic Fury,” Trump said during remarks in South Carolina.

“And we defeated them militarily, financially, and otherwise,” he added. “Iran will never have a nuclear weapon.”

The president suggested that American forces could withdraw immediately but that Washington was determined to secure a lasting outcome.

“We could leave now, but we want to make sure it lasts for a long time,” Trump said.

A day earlier, Trump had stressed that the damage inflicted on Iran’s nuclear program would be insufficient if Tehran could rebuild it in the years ahead.

“We could leave right now, and we would have done a good job, a great job,” Trump said Tuesday. “But it’s not good enough for me. We have to make sure it doesn’t happen in five years, six years, ten years.”

The president also warned that the conflict would end “one way or the other very quickly,” presenting Tehran with a choice between reaching an agreement and facing further military action.

“We just have to make a final decision,” Trump said. “Which way do we want to win? Do we want to win the nice way or the not nice way?”

Joshua Klein is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaKlein.