Pentagon Ordered to Finalize Plans for Major Strikes on Iran as Trump Weighs Pre-Midterm Action

The Pentagon has directed U.S. Central Command to complete preparations for the potential resumption of large-scale combat operations against Iran, according to multiple officials cited by Axios and The Atlantic. The plans, which were ordered several days before the reports emerged, include options for massive bombing of Iranian energy infrastructure, military targets, and nuclear sites, developed in coordination with Israel. No final decision has been made, but officials said a strike in the next three to four weeks could influence the November 3 midterm elections.

Trump publicly ruled out a diplomatic deal with Iran, saying Wednesday that Tehran's nuclear weapons capability must be eliminated and that he does not want a deal. At separate events in Nebraska and Texas, he told supporters the economic fallout from the war is "just artificial" and "a small price to pay," while also warning that Iran could target a major American city such as Los Angeles or San Diego before later clarifying he would not allow such an attack to happen. Trump also claimed that more oil had moved through the Strait of Hormuz in the past three nights than at any point in the waterway's history, and predicted oil prices would "come down like a rock" once the war ends.

Some advisers are urging Trump to wait until after the election, arguing that renewed combat could spotlight the war's unpopularity and that past strikes have tended to push oil prices higher in the short term. Oil markets moved on the reports, with West Texas Intermediate edging toward $89 a barrel and Brent closing near $100. Supply was also being pressured by a Gulf of Mexico storm that shut in more than 510,000 barrels per day.

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Wednesday that Tehran has conveyed its conditions for ending the war and restoring security in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, with responses being relayed through mediators. He said Iran and Oman have reached an agreement on the geographical coordinates of safe routes through the strait, while attributing navigation disruptions to U.S. actions. Messages between Washington and Tehran continue to be exchanged through intermediaries, Baghaei said.