The US military is developing new attack options against Iran, raising the possibility of another major battle in the eight-month war, according to the Washington-based website The Hill.
The Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees U.S. forces in the Middle East, plans to carry out additional attacks if authorized by the White House, the newspaper reported. He also said military planners are preparing several options for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
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The report focused on possible attacks after the November 3 US midterm elections. But President Donald Trump suggested on Saturday that the United States could strike as soon as “tomorrow,” while also putting on hold the possibility of a “big, beautiful” deal with the Iranian government.
Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accused the United States of derailing negotiations, but said efforts toward a deal should continue. With both sides warning of further attacks, could the conflict spiral back into all-out war? Here’s what we know:
What’s the plan?
Although the latest reports suggest military preparations are progressing, it remains unclear which options President Trump will approve and when. Earlier this month, Axios reported that the Pentagon had directed Centcom to complete preparations for a possible resumption of large-scale combat operations. The new operation could target Iranian energy, infrastructure and nuclear facilities, the official said.
Such preparations do not constitute an order to attack. Ultimately, the decision lies with President Trump, who has continued to leave room for both military action and negotiation in public statements.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, the New York Times reported that the United States and Israel have developed a joint plan to attack Iran after the midterm elections. The report comes alongside U.S. warnings about suspected Iranian threats to Americans abroad. An intelligence memo sent by Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton to Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday said Iran has “significantly increased its efforts to target American personnel” and that its lethal program has reached “advanced stages” in the Middle East and elsewhere.
In response to the warning, the State Department ordered staff reductions at several regional embassies. The memo released did not identify specific targets or say when the alleged attack would occur.
The arrival of President Trump has added to the uncertainty. Speaking at a rally on Friday, he said the U.S. government “could unleash another little epic outrage,” referring to the code name for the U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran that began on February 28. On Saturday, he did not specify the timing of the attack, but suggested it could occur as early as Sunday.
Julie Norman, an associate fellow at Chatham House, told Al Jazeera that the preparations serve as both a short-term posture and a long-term military goal, potentially next month. “For President Trump, I think he always has options on the table, but I think this special planning will serve as a deterrent for the time being, but I also think it will be a very real option after the midterm elections,” she said.
This comes as the United States deploys a third carrier strike group, the USS Theodore Roosevelt, and approximately 10,000 additional soldiers and the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit to the Middle East by the end of November.
How did Iran react?
The Iranian government has called for further negotiations and warned that any new U.S. attack would result in a broader response. “We were negotiating, but the cowards (Americans) ruined everything,” Pezeshkian said in remarks broadcast Saturday, adding that efforts to reach a deal should continue.
Iranian Parliament Speaker and Chief Negotiator Mohammad Berger Ghalibaf will also be absent from the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum in New Delhi, according to the Iranian Embassy in India. The embassy cited “unforeseen circumstances” but did not elaborate.
On Sunday, Iranian forces also said they shot down a U.S.-developed LUCAS drone over the southern port city of Bandar Abbas, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported.
Reuters, citing Iranian security officials, reported that Iran is developing plans to target undersea communications cables in the Gulf in preparation for renewed attacks by the United States and Israel.
The incident follows Iranian claims earlier this week that seven oil tankers caught fire or were damaged in and around the Strait of Hormuz, while on Wednesday Iran also announced what it called a shift to “aggressive” military doctrine and warned that countries hosting bases used in U.S. attacks could be targeted.
Hossein Mohebi, a spokesman for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said: “Our defense doctrine used to be defensive. We said if a country attacks, we will respond. Now we say if a country attacks, we will respond and launch an attack.”
The warning could potentially put energy infrastructure and Washington’s allies at risk, raising the possibility that the conflict could spread further across the region. “Iran has also developed its own list of targets, including energy infrastructure and countries allied with the United States,” Norman said.
“So I would say that both parties are definitely very ready and mutually gearing up for further escalation.”
“Meanwhile, the risk of miscalculation on either side is very high, and the risk of rapid escalation is very high.”
October has been the busiest month for attacks on ships since the war began in February, with more than 120 attacks reported so far.
Would further attacks be in President Trump’s interests?
The timing is politically sensitive, with President Trump facing pressure to avoid new escalation ahead of the U.S. midterm elections, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pushing ahead with the attack as his support dwindles in opinion polls ahead of Tuesday’s elections.
This comes after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said overthrowing the Iranian government remains Israel’s “primary goal.”
Mohammad El-Masry, a professor at Qatar’s Doha Graduate Institute, said recent developments signaled a resumption of fighting rather than a diplomatic breakthrough. “There are a lot of signals and postures that suggest we are going back to fighting,” he told Al Jazeera.
He pointed to Hegseth’s recent visit to Israel and reports that Washington had withdrawn personnel from diplomatic and military locations in the region. “All of this would suggest that the United States and Israel are planning (re-attacks) on Iran soon or soon,” he said.
“One of the concerns is that the next battle could actually be more dangerous and more devastating than the previous one.”
Norman added that while the U.S. president may be considering attacking Iran after the midterm elections, “the big question for military advisers to President Trump is: Will further escalation bring about something that other rounds didn’t?”
“What does this strategy look like to get Iran to the negotiating table? And I don’t think there’s a clear answer to that.”
