Iran is raising the stakes. As global attention remains fixed on the American midterm elections, Tehran says it is bracing for a « full and wide-scale war » against the United States and Israel, even as diplomatic channels, against the odds, remain only partially closed.
According to reporting picked up by several American outlets, the US and Israeli militaries have reportedly drawn up detailed plans for an intensive operation against Iran that could last roughly three days. The strike, however, would only be launched after the November 3 congressional midterms. Targets would reportedly include nuclear facilities, energy infrastructure, and Iran’s missile and drone capabilities. The US Secretary of War is said to have discussed these scenarios with the Israeli prime minister during a visit to Israel this week, though the American president has reportedly not yet given final approval.
Disagreements over timing appear to persist between Washington and Tel Aviv. The Israeli prime minister had reportedly sought to strike by mid-October before being talked out of it by the White House, while Israel continues to pass along target lists drawn from its own intelligence. Other Israeli military sources, however, have denied that any imminent strike is being prepared.
On the ground, Washington has quietly scaled back its military footprint at several regional bases and asked its diplomatic missions to trim staff numbers, a move described as routine operational caution rather than an emergency measure. Israeli fighter jets reportedly flew toward Iran through Syrian and Iraqi airspace during an overnight drill, while joint US-Israeli exercises, including simulated strike runs over Iraq, continued elsewhere in the region.
On the Iranian side, the Revolutionary Guard’s deputy commander has announced strengthened missile capabilities and a higher state of combat readiness, with officials describing confrontation with Washington and Tel Aviv as having « become inevitable. » Tehran also claims to have struck several vessels carrying oil cargo in the Gulf and says additional ships were damaged by mines near the Strait of Hormuz, incidents it blames on what it calls illegal American-encouraged maritime routes.
Despite the mounting rhetoric and military buildup, diplomacy has not been entirely abandoned. Iran’s foreign minister insists his country remains ready to give negotiations a new chance, while discreet mediation efforts, reportedly involving Pakistan, aim to keep open a channel between Tehran and Washington over the nuclear file and freedom of navigation through the strategic strait.
