The directive
The Pentagon has instructed US Central Command to finalise preparations for a potential resumption of major combat operations against Iran, according to an Axios report cited by Business Today on October 8. The report stresses that no specific launch date has been set and that President Donald Trump has not made a final decision on whether to order strikes.
Trump rules out a deal
At a campaign rally in San Antonio on October 6, Trump said he is no longer interested in striking a deal with Tehran — while acknowledging that his administration's diplomatic efforts had been making progress. He said special envoy Steve Witkoff had been leading those efforts and was "doing very well". Trump spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the same day, their second conversation in days, after Netanyahu had met his security team. Netanyahu had earlier spoken with Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Deliberations intensified during a multi-hour session of Trump's top national security advisers at Camp David. An Israeli official confirmed that part of the discussion focused on restarting major operations, while Rubio publicly framed the planning as routine "long-term" work. US and Israeli sources told Axios that strikes could come before the US midterm elections on November 3, and possibly before Israel's elections a week earlier on October 27. A resumed campaign would reportedly target Iranian energy, infrastructure and nuclear sites with heavy bombardment. A second Israeli official told Axios that the chances of strikes before the elections were "not high but we don't rule it out", with the odds rising significantly after the midterms.
Diplomacy and markets react
Qatari mediators are said to be waiting on Tehran to respond to a US counterproposal demanding nuclear concessions. A White House official told Axios that Trump retains total flexibility, claiming the US has "control of the Strait of Hormuz and the Iranian economy collapsing", and that "things will go one of two ways: the easy way or the hard way".
Oil markets reacted on October 8: Brent December futures rose 1.36% to $101.54 a barrel, while WTI November futures climbed 1.04% to $89.32, as traders priced in the risk of a widening conflict.
Sources:
Business Today (citing Axios) — Pentagon Prepares Iran Strike Plans as Trump Weighs Options Before Midterm Elections: Report
The Economic Times — US puts military in ready-mode for possible new strikes on Iran: Report
The Pentagon has instructed US Central Command to finalise preparations for a potential resumption of major combat operations against Iran, according to an Axios report cited by Business Today on October 8. The report stresses that no specific launch date has been set and that President Donald Trump has not made a final decision on whether to order strikes.
Trump rules out a deal
At a campaign rally in San Antonio on October 6, Trump said he is no longer interested in striking a deal with Tehran — while acknowledging that his administration's diplomatic efforts had been making progress. He said special envoy Steve Witkoff had been leading those efforts and was "doing very well". Trump spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the same day, their second conversation in days, after Netanyahu had met his security team. Netanyahu had earlier spoken with Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Deliberations intensified during a multi-hour session of Trump's top national security advisers at Camp David. An Israeli official confirmed that part of the discussion focused on restarting major operations, while Rubio publicly framed the planning as routine "long-term" work. US and Israeli sources told Axios that strikes could come before the US midterm elections on November 3, and possibly before Israel's elections a week earlier on October 27. A resumed campaign would reportedly target Iranian energy, infrastructure and nuclear sites with heavy bombardment. A second Israeli official told Axios that the chances of strikes before the elections were "not high but we don't rule it out", with the odds rising significantly after the midterms.
Diplomacy and markets react
Qatari mediators are said to be waiting on Tehran to respond to a US counterproposal demanding nuclear concessions. A White House official told Axios that Trump retains total flexibility, claiming the US has "control of the Strait of Hormuz and the Iranian economy collapsing", and that "things will go one of two ways: the easy way or the hard way".
Oil markets reacted on October 8: Brent December futures rose 1.36% to $101.54 a barrel, while WTI November futures climbed 1.04% to $89.32, as traders priced in the risk of a widening conflict.
Sources:
Business Today (citing Axios) — Pentagon Prepares Iran Strike Plans as Trump Weighs Options Before Midterm Elections: Report
The Economic Times — US puts military in ready-mode for possible new strikes on Iran: Report