The U.S. military has drawn up options to attack Iran after the Nov. 3 midterm elections. That could restart a war that has lasted more than eight months, The Hill reported Saturday 1. One source told The Hill that U.S. Central Command, which oversees American forces in the Middle East, has follow-up strikes ready if the White House authorizes them 1.
Another source said the options are presented to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. That source said President Trump will keep all his options open until he has to make a final decision 1. Both sources spoke on condition of anonymity 1.
A Pentagon official did not confirm any plan. The official said the department's "job is to develop and present military options to the President" and that it does not "speculate on hypothetical situations or future operations" 1.
What analysts expect
Gregory Brew, an Iran expert at the consulting firm Eurasia Group, said a return to strikes after the election looks likely 1. He said part of the reason is frustration that talks have stalled. He said Iran has held the same negotiating position for several weeks 1.
From Channel GOPTrump says he alone decides who gets paidDonald Trump · 135 plays · captioned, with the source named
To me, it looks pretty likely that the U.S. goes back to military strikes on Iran once the midterm elections are passed
Harrison Mann, a former Army major who worked at the Defense Intelligence Agency, said strikes may not change Tehran's course. In his view, Iranian leaders believe they have leverage 1. He said the earlier strikes could not destroy Iran's military capacity or its political leadership 1.
Trump has sent mixed signals. On Oct. 8 he said he would not order strikes on Iran before the midterms, Al Jazeera reported 2. On Friday, asked about a U.S. envoy's remark that a strike this weekend was possible, he said he knew nothing about it 1. He also said the U.S. "may do another little epic fury" 1.
Iran's threats and the cost at home
Brew said Iranian leaders have signaled that any retaliation would be "bigger," "more aggressive" and "different" than earlier this year 1. Tehran is threatening U.S. bases, warships, oil pipelines, refineries and Gulf allies 1.
Brew also said regional officials have named undersea cables, artificial intelligence data centers and tech infrastructure in the Persian Gulf as possible targets 1. A U.S. intelligence memo says Iranian plots against U.S. officials have reached "advanced stages" 1.
The military has more than 50,000 service members in the Middle East and about 20 warships, The Hill reported 1. The Pentagon also sent 4,000 Marines and sailors on three ships, and the carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt is heading to the region 1. On Wednesday the State Department ordered nonemergency government employees and their families out of Saudi Arabia, where Iran-backed Houthi forces keep attacking 1.
Oil is already high. Brent crude, the global benchmark, passed $117 a barrel Friday, and U.S. benchmark West Texas Intermediate traded near $102. That is the highest since May 1. The Hill noted the earlier strike campaign helped spike gas prices and drained stocks of missile interceptors 1.
That matters before Election Day because voters are being asked to decide who controls Congress while a possible new round of fighting waits just beyond the vote. Congress would decide how much oversight to demand. A Pew poll found about 65% of Americans disapprove of how Trump is handling the war 2.
The Record
- The U.S. and Israel first struck Iran, the start of the current war 2.
- Trump said he would not order strikes on Iran before the Nov. 3 midterms 2.
- The State Department ordered nonemergency U.S. staff and families to leave Saudi Arabia amid Houthi attacks 1.
- Brent crude passed $117 a barrel, the highest since May 1.
Sources
- The Hill, “Pentagon drafts Iran attack plans as Tehran threatens aggressive retaliation” (2026-10-24). thehill.com/policy/defense/6169634-us-military-iran-strikes-
- Al Jazeera, “Is Trump signalling a return to war with Iran after the midterms?” (2026-10-09). aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/9/is-trump-signalling-a-return-to
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