U.S. and Israel Draw Up Plans to Strike Iran in Early November, After Midterms, Source Tells NPR
Israel had wanted to hit in mid-October, but Trump objected, a person briefed on the planning said. Iran's foreign minister says Tehran is ready for diplomacy or war.
The United States and Israel are preparing plans for a possible attack on Iran in early November, after the U.S. midterm elections, a person briefed on the two countries' war planning told NPR on Thursday. Iran said it is prepared.
The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the preparations, said Israel had initially planned to strike Iran in mid-October, about two weeks before Israeli elections on Oct. 27, but President Trump objected. The U.S. is now massing forces in the region so it can be ready to attack by early November, the person said. U.S. midterm elections take place on Nov. 3. The person cautioned that the buildup could also be part of a campaign to pressure Iran into a diplomatic deal.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is seeking reelection, is campaigning on a threat to topple Iran's regime. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told state media on Thursday, "We are just as prepared for diplomacy as we are for war." He added: "Any scenario is conceivable, including the possibility of an attack by the U.S. and Israel."
Iranian state media quoted a security source saying that if Iranian officials or civilian infrastructure were attacked, Iran would retaliate against U.S. interests in the region, as well as the infrastructure and assets of countries taking part in the war. The Revolutionary Guard has gone further. It has threatened that if the U.S. and Israel resume attacks, data centers and underwater internet cables in the Gulf could be targeted. Yadollah Javani, the Guard's deputy for political affairs, said Iran was prepared to destroy internet cables running under the Strait of Hormuz. "The Americans must leave the region — they no longer have a place here — and they can never restore the situation to what it was before the war," he said.
The U.S. and Israel launched the war on Iran on Feb. 28, killing its supreme leader and a number of senior officials. Since then, the two sides have failed to uphold a ceasefire agreement and have traded strikes over control of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has blocked the key waterway since the start of the war and has targeted commercial vessels. The U.S. responded by imposing a blockade on Iranian ports and oil shipments. U.S. strikes have reduced Iran's military capabilities, including its air force, air defenses and navy, but Iran remains a threat to Arab states in the Gulf and to Israel, and it has hit U.S. bases in the Gulf and Jordan.
The shooting at sea has not stopped while the planning goes on. Iranian state media said seven oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz were targeted by the Revolutionary Guard on Thursday. Four tankers caught fire and three others hit naval mines.
The economic damage is spreading. A new International Monetary Fund report says disruptions to energy production, shipping, tourism and trade this year have delivered substantial shocks to Gulf countries, even as higher oil prices offset some losses for energy exporters. The IMF expects Iraq, Kuwait and Qatar to see their economies contract by about 16% this year, while Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are in recession. If the war continues and energy supply disruptions persist, the fund says, oil will average $130 a barrel in 2027.
The timing ties two election calendars together. Israel votes on Oct. 27 and Americans on Nov. 3, and the reported strike window sits just after both.
